Patient Handling solutions for hospitals

Reduce the risk of injury for healthcare workers and improve patient safety

Health systems globally are facing an alarming shortage of healthcare workers. The WHO estimates a lack of 10 million professionals by 2030. For example, in the US 47% of healthcare workers say they plan to leave their current role within the next two to three years*.

One major reason healthcare workers are leaving the profession is the occupational risk of injury. The biggest contributor to injury is patient handling, the single greatest risk factor for musculoskeletal injuries for healthcare workers*. Manual handling, moving, and mobilising of patients in hospitals can have substantial clinical and economic implications for both healthcare workers and patients*.

Preventing work-related injuries is a win-win

Needless to say, in order to maintain and improve the efficiency and quality in our hospitals and healthcare systems it is crucial to improve the work environments for healthcare workers, and one of the biggest opportunities to do this is to reduce the risk of injury related to patient handling.

Etac holds one of the industry’s widest offerings of high-quality transfer and repositioning solutions and solves a vast range of patient handling challenges in hospitals – with both the healthcare workers and patients in mind.

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Architectural planning and support

Numerous studies have proven the effectiveness of ceiling hoist systems in preventing patient handling-related injury for healthcare workers. The Molift ceiling hoist system holds a wide offering of ceiling hoist motors, rail profiles, and innovative solutions for integration into all types of ceilings and walls.

Etac regularly supports care providers, architects, and construction firms with project advice, drawing support, installation guidance, etc.

Ceiling hoist systems

Reduce risk of infection and cross-contamination

Healthcare-associated infections, such as respiratory tract infections, surgical site infections, urinary tract infections, and bloodstream infections, cause significant risks in healthcare facilities*, particularly in fast-paced and short-stay environments such as hospitals.

Single-patient use/disposable products play an important role in preventing this infection risk. They may also enable significant cost-savings and efficient operation through simpler storage and ready-to-use products with no laundering expenses and logistics.

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Single-patient use products

Molift UnoSlings

Non-washable slings designed for single-patient use

Immedia MultiGlide SPU

A disposable nylon slide sheet for reduced infection risk

Hovertech SPU

Single-patient use products significantly reduce the risk of cross-contamination

Case story

A major Danish hospital has increased patient safety and comfort, freed up time required for patient transfers, and reduced work-related injuries by using the HoverMatt Air Transfer System.

Read the case story

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Ambulances and admittance

The patient handling activities related to a patient’s hospital stay often start even before entering the hospital’s doors.

Etac offers air-assisted transfer devices and solutions for supine transfers to enable safe and efficient patient handling and transfers into and from the ambulance and entering the ICU.

Suitable products

HoverTech air-assisted transfer devices

Makes patient transfers, boosting, positioning, and proning easier while protecting the carer health

Ambulance 8-point balance bar Card item block

Molift 8-point Sling bar

The Balance bar enables adjusting the horizontal position of the user

Ambulance RgoSling Fabric stretcher Card item block

Molift RgoSling Fabric Stretcher

A soft fabric hoisting device for horizontal transfers

Videos

HoverMatt SPU & Evacuation HoverJack

Ambulance paramedics evacuate patient through stairwell

HoverMatt SPU & HoverJack

Ambulance paramedics moving a patient from the ground

HoverMatt SPU

Ambulance paramedics arriving with a patient at the hospital

Molift 8-point sling bar with Balance bar

How to transfer a patient in a supine position

Early mobilisation

Patient handling solutions do not only benefit healthcare workers but can also have a positive impact on patients.

Research shows that immobility has a negative effect on almost every organ system. In an ICU setting, prolonged immobility increases the risk of pressure injuries (PI), ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), and venous thromboembolism (VTE) events*.

Therefore, early mobilisation is key to reducing the risk of such events as well as the length of stay in the hospital.

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Bariatric care

Between 1975 and 2016 the worldwide prevalence of obesity nearly tripled and is today considered one of the most important public health problems*. Providing care for this patient population means an even higher injury risk for healthcare workers and an increased need for adequate patient-handling equipment and solutions.

Safe working load (SWL) for larger patients

Etac offers special equipment to enable patient handling for plus-size patients. The Molift Air 500 and associated slings enable a safe working load of 500 kg with one single ceiling hoist motor. The Molift Mover 300 is the ideal mobile hoist option for patients up to 300 kg.