Safe Patient Handling

Occupational therapists, along with other healthcare professionals are required to manually transfer clients/patients from one surface to another, for example, from bed to wheelchair, or from tub bench to wheelchair.  There is a growing awareness of the dangers associated with manually transferring patients, not the least of which is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which consider the Nursing industry as consistently being one of the most injury-prone for nonfatal injuries. Occupational therapy is recognized as a profession that is expert in patient handling, however, little is known about the impact that patient handling has on the injury rate for occupational therapists.  This line of research investigates various aspects of patient handling including biomechanical, perceptions, practices/behaviors, and policy-related areas upon safe-patient handling.

Investigators at TWU

• Martin S Rice, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA

Outside Collaborators 

• Woolley, S. M
• Waters, T. R.
• Dusseau, J.M
• Kopp Miller, B.
• Slusser, L.
• Bartnik, L. M.
• Stringer, E. J.
• Larson, R.E
• Murtagh, E. M.

Publications 

• Rice, M.S., Woolley, S.M., & Waters, T.R. (2009). Comparison of Required Operating Forces Between Floor-Based and Overhead-Mounted Patient Lifting Devices, Ergonomics, 51 (1), 112-120.
• Rice, M.S., Dusseau, J.M., & Kopp Miller, B. (2011). A Survey of Musculoskeletal Injuries Associated with Manual Patient Lifting in Occupational Therapy Practitioners in the State of Ohio. Occupational Therapy in Health Care, 25(2-3), 95-107. doi:10.3109/07380577.2011.566308
• Slusser, L.R., Rice, M.S., & Kopp Miller, B. (2012). Safe Patient Handling Curriculum in Occupational Therapy and Occupational Therapy Assistant Programs: A Descriptive Study of School Curriculum within the United States of America. WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment, & Rehabilitation, 42(3), 385-392. .doi: 10.3233/WOR-2012-140 
• Bartnik, L. M., & Rice, M. S. (2013). Comparison of Caregiver Forces Required for Sliding a Patient Up in Bed Using an Array of Slide Sheets. Workplace health & safety, 393-400. Doi: 10.3928/21650799-20130816-52
• Stringer, E.J., & Rice, M.S. (2014). Perception, Experience and Ground Reaction Forces when Performing and Assessing Pivot Transfers. American Journal of Safe Patient Handling & Movement, 4(3), 76-85.
• Larson, R. E., Murtagh, E. M., & Rice, M. S. (2018). Forces involved when sliding a patient up in bed. Work, 59(3), 439-448.
• Larson, R.E., & Rice, M.S. (2015). Safe Patient Handling Research: Forces Involved when Completing a Lateral Bed to Plinth Transfer, American Journal of Safe Patient Handling and Movement, 5(3), 117-121.

Page last updated 4:00 PM, May 30, 2023