Abstract
Transporting patients using a hospital bed is a common and often difficult task in a healthcare environment. The aim of this study was to compare the usability and physical demands of alternative bed design features associated with brake engagement and bed maneuvering tasks. Specifically, the brake system and steering-assistance features of two hospital beds were evaluated within a simulated healthcare work environment. Two sets of participants were recruited from the local student population and community. Task completion time, perceived usability of brake and steering-assistance features, hand forces, and trunk kinematics were measured during the braking and maneuvering tasks to assess the usability of the bed features and the physical demands likely placed on healthcare workers. With respect to brake design, a frontal brake (when bed side rails were down) was found to be significantly less efficient than a brake located at the side or at the foot-end of the bed. During in-room maneuvering tasks, the steering-assistance feature significantly reduced hand forces and increased perceived usability. Furthermore, patient mass significantly affected required hand forces. Regardless of the use of steering-assistance features, the physical demands observed in the present study might exceed recommended ergonomic guidelines. Therefore, to improve the ergonomic design of hospital beds in terms of healthcare workers' physical effort and work efficiency, it is recommended that further ergonomic assessments should be made regarding the usability of bed design features and future improvements.
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