The evaluation of patient handling interventions in healthcare

Patient handling intervention strategies are many and varied. The focus of interventions has primarily been on the health, safety and welfare of care givers. Since 2005 the European Panel of Patient Handling Ergonomics (EPPHE) has been supporting an international research project to develop a tool for the evaluation of patient handling interventions across the EU. 4 European countries were involved in its development. This tool has been used in a number of countries in different healthcare environments. The tool calculates management performance in 12 different outcome areas to evaluate the changes made following a patient handling intervention. It evaluates all types of interventions from management style to equipment supply or training and education interventions. This paper presents a review of the development and evaluation of this tool and suggestions for future validation.