Abstract
Abstract Paramedics face rising numbers of deployments every year. As obstacles like stairs occur often, paramedics must frequently manually carry patients and are thereby exposed to loads multitudes higher than recommended. This creates the need for patient transport aids (PTA), which can physically support paramedics in a wide variety of transport situations, without slowing down the transport. In this paper a workflow analysis for transport missions in an urban context and basic tasks for PTAs are presented. Subsequently, the high-level task modelling and human-centered risk analysis according to the HiFEM method are presented for the use case of a patient transport over stairs with a passive PTA, like a rescue chair, and an active PTA like the novel SEBARES prototype. The analysis shows that conventional PTA’s have a simple linear use process, however, impose excessive physical workloads, which cause risks like the paramedic or the PTA falling down the stairs. Contrary, active PTA’s reduce physical workloads, however, introduce additional concurrent steps, like identifying and correcting misalignments, which create further risks. In order to mitigate risks with active, stair climbing PTAs, either new kinematic designs or intelligent assistance functions, like automatic stair detection, are necessary.
Highlights
Every year over 16 million emergency and non-emergencyCurrent patient transport aids (PTA) are differentiated in passive and active systems, depending on the level of support they offer: Passive PTAs, like main stretchers, stretcher chairs or spine boards secure patients in a safe position, while all energy for the transportation has to be provided by one or multiple paramedics themselves
A high-level task modelling and risk analysis for the use case of transporting patients over stairs with a passive PTA, like the rescue chair, and an active PTA like the SEBARES system [10] is performed according to the HiFEM method
A high-level task modelling is performed for the use case of transporting a patient over stairs with passive and active PTAs and human-centered risks are identified according to the HiFEM method [11]
Summary
Every year over 16 million emergency and non-emergencyCurrent patient transport aids (PTA) are differentiated in passive and active systems, depending on the level of support they offer: Passive PTAs, like main stretchers, stretcher chairs or spine boards secure patients in a safe position, while all energy for the transportation has to be provided by one or multiple paramedics themselves. Active PTAs offer motorized support and can partially reduce the physical workload, like hydraulic stretchers during lifting or stair climbing rescue chairs during stair transports. Active aids for stair transports are rarely used by emergency medical services, as they are generally too slow or can only be used for limited use cases. In the scope of this work the workflow of patient transports with PTAs is analysed and basic tasks for PTAs are identified. A high-level task modelling and risk analysis for the use case of transporting patients over stairs with a passive PTA, like the rescue chair, and an active PTA like the SEBARES system [10] is performed according to the HiFEM method. The need for automation and human-machine cooperation in the context of patient transports is discussed
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