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Mobilize Patients Early with SPH Medical's RoWalker
Categoriesearly mobility

Early Patient Mobility Trends

by sphmedicaladmin

In the past, hospital personnel followed safe patient handling guidelines that primarily focused on the safe movement and transfer of patients with staff assistance from surface to surface or from bed to chair for example. Most safe patient handling programs that were implemented really focused on staff injury prevention. And as we all know today the majority of staff injuries come from repositioning patients up in bed and lateral transfers between bed and gurney or bed to table. In the past, keeping a patient in bed just seemed to make sense as patients getting out by themselves or when manually handled by staff were often at risk of falling. Today however, early patient mobility is now a trending practice across the nation. Professional opinions about this topic have changed drastically in recent years as more doctors, nurses and physical therapists have taken an approach that’s evidence based rather than stuck on traditional practices and norms.

Consider the following evidence and ways early patient mobility benefits both patients and staff:

  • Muscle Atrophy or Deconditioning Isn’t Allowed to Set In

    Many immobilized patients quickly lose muscle mass, strength and tone. The old saying “If you don’t use it, you lose it” definitely applies to recovering patients. Certain biological processes kick in during immobilization that reduce muscle mass. Movement can help prevent and reverse these processes. Patients who have difficulty with standing and walking can benefit from care out of bed that involves any type of movement. They don’t need to rely on physical help from hospital personnel alone. Several types of assistive tools exist, such as the SPH Medical RoWalker, that can help with this type of safe patient handling program to make it easier for patients to move around and stop muscle wasting as quickly as possible.

  • Prevention of Cardiovascular and Respiratory Events

    As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes on its website, immobilized patients are at high risk of experiencing blood clots that can lead to heart and lung problems and strokes. Movement reduces clots by improving circulation. Increased blood flow can improve oxygen levels and respiration. Patients who have suffered a critical illness might also need an oxygen tank to breath when walking. Many assistive tools like the SPH Medical RoWalker have built-in features that make it easier for patients with cardiovascular, respiratory and critical needs to ambulate, such as a telescoping IV pole, a basket that can carry a cardiac monitor or small ventilator, an oxygen tank holder, hand grips and a built-in seat for breaks.

  • Reduction of Hospital and Overall Medical Bills

    Hospitals that implement early patient mobility can actually help patients reduce their medical debt burden. It might seem counterintuitive for any type of business to find ways to stop billing customers, but many patients who can’t pay their immediate medical bills are unable to pay them at all as time passes. Growing medical debt then often forces them to put off preventative care, which adversely impacts hospitals when those same patients seek ER care for emergencies they could have prevented in prior weeks, months and years. Additionally, early mobility during an inpatient stay can prevent costly followup ER visits by reducing the risk of related muscular and cardiovascular events. For example, it can reduce the number and length of physical therapy appointments and in-home exercises required for a full recovery, which decreases the patient’s medical debt burden from recovery treatment and the risk of more debt from an emergency atrophy-related muscle strain.

  • Additional Hospital and Staff Benefits

    The adoption of early mobility in an ICU and other hospital settings can open up beds faster. If patients are capable of getting up and moving around, they’re not going to need to remain in the ICU for long. Movement can even help staff determine if the patient is strong enough to leave the ICU and breathe without assistance. A safe handling plan that includes assistive and supportive equipment means that staff members won’t have to rush around or experience accidents to retrieve items they need while helping patients. If they’re using a sturdy, durable walking system like the SPH Medical RoWalker, they also won’t need to catch falling patients by hand. They can use the equipment to support the patient’s weight. Lastly, early mobility can help improve patient sleep and mental health, which can reduce ER surges and dangers to staff related to a growing national mental health crisis.

Mobilize patients early with the SPH Medical Rowalker
CategoriesPatient Handling

Early Patient Mobility and Why Movement Matters

by sphmedicaladmin

For those unfamiliar with Dale M. Needham, M.D., Ph.D., he served as the lead researcher in a study published by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. In that study, he concluded that early patient mobility significantly improves patient outcomes by reducing their risk of suffering from muscle weakness and mental illnesses. It, however, does not end there. Another study from the National Institutes of Health mirrors Dr. Needham’s findings and further shows that early patient mobility can lower a patient’s chances of developing pressure ulcers, blood clots, pneumonia, and urinary tract infections (UTIs).

SPH Medical RoWalker for Safe Patient Mobility

Health Problems That Leave Some Hospital Patients Bedridden

Getting out of bed is not easy for some patients, and this is because some of them have medical conditions that affect their mobility. All hospitals are well aware of this. And that awareness has motivated many of them to institute a safe patient handling program to help patients escape the prison that is their hospital bed when needed. Before detailing what such a program entails, let’s take a moment to discuss some of the many medical conditions that can affect a patient’s mobility to the extent that they become bedridden. According to a study published by Cedars-Sinai, one of the largest nonprofit academic medical centers in the U.S, the following conditions can cause severe muscle weakness and make it very difficult for patients to get out of bed on their own:

  • Neuromuscular diseases that cause weakness in the skeletal muscles
  • Certain infections
  • Vitamin deficiencies
  • How Early Patient Mobility Improves Physical and Mental Health

To help patients avoid the additional health problems that can arise from being confined to a bed for too long, the medical teams in most hospitals use a safe patient handling program to help ambulate patients. The benefits of these programs are many. In addition to minimizing a patient’s chances of developing pressure ulcers, blood clots, pneumonia, and UTIs, not to mention making it easier for them to go from one department to another, they also contribute to the following:

  • Improved heart health and overall cardiovascular function
  • Increased muscle mass and a much stronger immune system
  • Improved respiratory function

Early Patient Mobility Published Studies

Along with improved physical health, escaping the confines of one’s hospital bed from time to time also keeps mental health problems at bay, according to several evidence based studies. One of those studies comes from the National Institutes of Health. In that study, researchers found that ambulating patients via safe patient handling programs significantly lowers their chances of suffering from delirium, depression, and other mental health problems.

Why Hospitals Across the Country Are Praising the SPH Medical RoWalker

No patient handling program would be complete without the SPH Medical RoWalker, say hospital medical teams who use them to lift, reposition, transfer, and otherwise ambulate patients. And there is a good reason why they feel this way. Along with mobilizing patients, the SPH Medical Rowalker can carry a portable ventilator, an oxygen tank, IV pole, cardiac monitor, and many other items that long-term hospital patients need the most. To learn more about how these devices improve patient mobility and overall health, consider contacting SPH Medical today.

CategoriesPatient Handling

Benefits of Early Patient Mobility

by sphmedicaladmin

According to a study published by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, early patient mobility significantly improves patient outcomes. In the study, Dale M. Needham, M.D., Ph.D., the university’s lead researcher, notes that patients who spend less time in bed and start rehabilitation sooner are less likely to suffer from muscle weakness, physical impairments, or mental illness than those who do not. Another study published by the National Institutes of Health revealed that patients who spend less time in their hospital beds are also less likely to suffer from the following:

  • Pressure ulcers (bedsores)
  • Blood clots
  • Pneumonia
  • Urinary tract infections (UTIs)

While we could easily say that these health problems can be avoided by not spending less time in bed, we must also acknowledge that getting out of one’s bed and engaging in physical activity doesn’t come easy for some hospital patients.

Why Some Hospital Patients Are Bedridden

All hospitals are acutely aware of the issues that stem from allowing patients to stay in bed too long. But not all of them have a safe patient handling program that makes it easy for patients with neurological conditions, infections, and vitamin deficiencies, all of which can cause muscle weakness, to get out of bed when they want to or even have to for medical reasons. The same can be said of many other health problems as well.

What Hospitals Are Doing to Promote Early Patient Mobility

To promote early patient mobility and, as a byproduct of doing so, minimize the risk of many health problems correlated with being bedridden for too long, a lot of hospitals employ safe patient handling programs to ambulate patients.  These programs consist of trained medical teams and assistive mobility devices that help get patients moving.  And this could mean lifting, repositioning, or transferring them from one department to another.  Likewise, it could mean getting them out of bed to exercise so they can avoid many of the health problems mentioned earlier in this article.  And it does not end there; several evidence based studies show the combination of highly trained medical teams and assistive mobility devices can also offer the following benefits to long-term hospital patients:

  • Improved cardiac function
  • Improved muscle mass
  • Improved respiratory function
  • Minimizing the risk of delirium commonly associated with being bedridden

Why Many Hospitals Are Choosing the SPH Medical Rowalker

Safe Patient Mobility with SPH Medical RoWalker

There are many devices that hospitals can use to ambulate patients, but many are choosing to go with the SPH Medical Rowalker.  Along with getting patients up and moving, these devices can carry just about everything they might need while in a hospital.  Also referred to as an ambulation device or a platform walker, the SPH Medical Rowalker is capable of carrying the following:

  • An oxygen tank
  • An IV pole
  • A cardiac monitor
  • A portable ventilator

Early Patient Mobility, The Bottom Line

Because they help patients stand, walk, and feel a little more independent, it is easy to see why many hospitals have made the Rowalker by SPH Medical their ambulation device of choice. Of course, the ability of these devices to lower a patient’s chances of developing blood clots, UTIs, pneumonia, and much more is just icing on the proverbial cake. To learn more about the Rowalker by SPH Medical, consider speaking with one of our associates today.

Early Patient Mobility
CategoriesPatient Handling

Rowalker Nurse Driven Early Mobility

by sphmedicaladmin

A Sustainable Process for Early Patient Mobility with RoWalker

When patients are critically ill, they may require a ventilator to support their breathing as they recover. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, ventilator assisted breathing is a standard treatment during the worst phases of the illness. While this treatment is necessary and life-saving, prolonged ventilation can have negative effects on patient outcomes. When medical procedures require sedation, the patient must rest in bed for days at a time. The human body is made to move, so extended periods of being bedridden will weaken the core muscles that sustain patient mobility. This is often referred to as deconditioning. Sedation and bedrest also disrupt the circadian rhythm of waking and sleeping. Patients may suffer from sleep deprivation and delirium after a time. These physical and mental side effects have the practical result of lengthening a patient’s hospital and rehabilitation stay. At hospitals under stress, patient beds are at a premium. When one patient is recovering at the facility, it prevents a new patient from receiving care. Also, a lengthy stay leads to higher medical bills and financial stress for patients and families. This is why team members need to collaborate to develop a nurse driven early mobility protocol.

Developing a Process for Early Patient Mobility

To improve patient outcomes a multi disciplinary approach including Nursing Leadership, Physical Therapy, and respiratory team members need to collaborate to develop a nursing driven early patient mobility protocol. No one wants to rush patients through the recovery process. However, if a patient can come off the ventilator and start moving, it will lead to an improved outcome. Determining if a patient is ready for early mobility takes several steps.

Reduced Sedation

It is difficult to evaluate patients who are deeply sedated. To measure progress, the staff should work to minimize the sedative dose so that it is easier to interrupt sedation. When the patient can handle the reduction safely, staff members can take the next step in evaluation.

Spontaneous Waking and Breathing

During an interruption in sedation, the medical staff can determine if the patient can breathe without assistance. They can also begin to assess the mental state of the patient.

Early Mobility Intervention

When a patient is mentally and physically stable, mobility therapy can begin while in the ICU. This treatment may only involve a few steps, but it is important progress for the patient.

RoWalker: Focusing on Patient and Staff Safety

Improving patient mobility involves a fall risk for patients, and it can create a personal safety risk for nursing staff. Without the right equipment, the patient will depend on a staff member for support. A sudden stumble can lead to strained muscles and other injuries for staff members. A serious fall will be a setback for the critical patient.

The SPH Medical RoWalker provides a sturdy framework with fall prevention in mind. The adjustable settings allow staff members to prepare the device for each patient. A cushioned platform gives the patient a place to support his or her upper body.

Lower body support belts and seating pads prevent patients from falling when tired.

The RoWalker can accommodate the needs of ICU patients. It has integrated features such as a telescoping IV pole, oxygen tank holder and a front-facing basket for cardiac monitors.

Seeking the Best Critical Patient Outcomes

A nurse driven early mobility supportive device like the SPH Medical RoWalker does more than provide an early physical therapy and nursing intervention. It offers a positive experience for the patient. When patients see that they can take a few assisted steps, it gives them a sense of hope for the future. Working with mobility also provides nursing staff with a metric for patient improvement as they extend the distance walked during each session.

The SPH Medical RoWalker combines fall prevention with early mobility intervention. Employing this device with a mobility protocol will decrease the length of hospital stays and increase positive patient outcomes.

CategoriesPatient Handling

Banner Health installs SPH Medical patient lifts in Banner University Medical Center Projects

by sphmedicaladmin

https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/facilities-management/banner-university-medical-center-to-open-16-story-tower-nov-6.html

Banner Health is opening their state of the art hospital in downtown Phoenix, Arizona equipped with the latest Safe Patient Handling solutions from SPH Medical to reduce risk of injury to staff and to improve patient care. Banner University Medical Center Phoenix has incorporated overhead ceiling lifts in approximately half of the rooms of the new tower.

Using the new ceiling lifts will enable nursing staff to boost, turn, and transfer patients safely while reducing risk of injury to staff. The hospital will be using the new breathable repositioning sheet that can stay under patients for extended periods of time.


 

The breathable sheet for repositioning in use:

For more information about SPH Medical visit www.sphmedical.com, or contact us via email info@sphmedical.com.

CategoriesPatient Handling

CDC and NiOSH – Safe Patient Handling is a priority

by sphmedicaladmin

Nurses continue to be injured at an alarming rate compared to other professions. With an increasing retirement population of baby boomers and now skilled nurses leaving the workforce for retirement our hospitals are facing a knowledge and skill gap that is difficult to replace. Safe Patient Handling efforts by many hospitals have allowed Nurses to work safely, longer.

The CDC and NiOSH have developed a web page that provides a wide variety of links and resources related to Safe Patient Handling and injury prevention.

Here is an excerpt from the CDC’s website:

Patient Handling Hazards

Rates of musculoskeletal injuries from overexertion in healthcare occupations are among the highest of all U.S. industries. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show that in 2014, the rate of overexertion injuries averaged across all industries was 33 per 10,000 full time workers. By comparison, the overexertion injury rate for hospital workers was twice the average (68 per 10,000), the rate for nursing home workers was over three times the average (107 per 10,000), and the rate for ambulance workers was over five times the average (174 per 10,000).1 The single greatest risk factor for overexertion injuries in healthcare workers is the manual lifting, moving and repositioning of patients, residents or clients, i.e., manual patient handling.

The CDC resource page can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/safepatient/

About SPH Medical, Inc

SPH Medical is a leading provider of clinical education and solutions to help hospitals reduce the risk of staff and patient injuries and their associated costs. SPH Medical focuses on three key areas; education, safe patient handling, and infection prevention.

ICU Patients benefit from Early Patient Mobility

Contact SPH Medial today to help mobilize patient safely, implement early patient mobility programs, improve outcomes and reduce the risk of injury to both patients and staff.

www.sphmedical.com
info@sphmedical.com
Tel: 1-844-3-SPHMED

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