Abstract
Manual patient handling (MPH) is a major occupational risk in healthcare settings. The aim of this study was to propose an MPH training model involving interdisciplinary aspects. A scheduled training program was performed with 60 healthcare workers (HCWs) from a hospital in Naples, Italy, providing training divided into three sections (occupational health—section one; physical therapy—section two; psychosocial section—section three) and lasting six hours. Fifty-two HCWs performed the training session. In section one, a questionnaire about risk perception related to specific working tasks was administered. Section two provided specific exercises for the postural discharge of the anatomical areas most involved in MPH. The last section provided teamwork consolidation through a role-playing exercise. The training program could also be useful for risk assessment itself, as they can examine the perceptions of the specific risk of the various workers and incorrect attitudes and therefore correct any incorrect procedures, reducing exposure to specific risks in the field. This pilot study proposes a training model that explores all aspects related to MPH risk exposure and also underlines the need for standardization of this formative model, which could represent a useful tool for studying the real effectiveness of training in workplaces.
Highlights
Manual patient handling (MPH) is one of the major occupational risks for healthcare workers (HCWs)
Enrolled workers came from several hospital departments involved in MPH, such as surgery, maternal-fetal medicine, medicine and health services, and physiotherapy, where bedridden patients are hospitalized
We showed that there is no standard program for MPH training
Summary
Manual patient handling (MPH) is one of the major occupational risks for healthcare workers (HCWs). According to the 6th European Working Condition Survey (EWCS), several working tasks are performed in lifting or moving people. According to the European survey, an increase in the percentage of workers involved in MPH (up to 10%) could be observed, and this is the only posture-related risk among those included in the EWCS that is shown to be on the increase. The percentage of female workers involved in MPH tasks for one-fourth to three-fourths of their working time is 9%, double that of men [1]. These exposure data account for the high percentage of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in some categories of workers.
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