[ES-1-5] Predictive Factors Affecting Lift Equipment Use after Home Discharge in Hospitalized Patients with Severe Disabilities
Introduction
The use of lift equipment (lift) for safe patient transfer has been recommended. However, patients do not always use lifts at discharge. The aim of this study was to examine factors affecting the use or not use of lifts in patients with severe disabilities after home discharge, and functional outcomes in patients who adopted to use a lift. Methods This study design was a retrospective case-control study. Patients’ data were collected from a rehabilitation hospital. Eligible patients who newly used lifts during the hospital stay were enrolled. We exclude the patients who had lived in a care home before admission. We investigated age, sex, diagnosis, the Charlson Comorbidity Index, BMI, pressure ulcer, type of home, caregivers, instructions or caregivers, the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) and length of stay. The FIM assessment time points were at admission and discharge. We compared the lift use and the non-lift use groups after discharge using the Mann Whitney U test for continuous data and χ 2nominal data. Logistic regression analysis (stepwise method) was used to determine factors for the lift use after home discharge. The study was approved by the ethics committee of the hospital. Results Of the 33 patients, 13 patients adopted to use a lift at home. The median ages of lift use and the non-lift use patients were 79.0 (IQR 67.0-82.0) years with 10 males and 3 females, and 90.0 (IQR 84.5-90.0) years with 16 males and 4 females, respectively. Intergroup comparisons showed that the lift use group was lower in age, had higher the FIM social cognition and had a high rate of instructions for caregivers than the non-lift use group. The instructions for caregivers were the only factor related to using a lift after discharge (Odds ratio: 9.00, p = 0.007). In terms of discharge outcome, the lift use group had higher the FIM communication and social cognition sub scores and a longer length of stay. Discussion We found that instruction for caregivers was related to the factor of the lift use, and a higher score on the discharge FIM cognitive in the lift use group. It implies that an opportunity of instruction to use a lift could facilitate using a lift, and communication among a patient, caregivers and hospital staff during the instruction could improve the patient’s social cognitive function.
The use of lift equipment (lift) for safe patient transfer has been recommended. However, patients do not always use lifts at discharge. The aim of this study was to examine factors affecting the use or not use of lifts in patients with severe disabilities after home discharge, and functional outcomes in patients who adopted to use a lift. Methods This study design was a retrospective case-control study. Patients’ data were collected from a rehabilitation hospital. Eligible patients who newly used lifts during the hospital stay were enrolled. We exclude the patients who had lived in a care home before admission. We investigated age, sex, diagnosis, the Charlson Comorbidity Index, BMI, pressure ulcer, type of home, caregivers, instructions or caregivers, the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) and length of stay. The FIM assessment time points were at admission and discharge. We compared the lift use and the non-lift use groups after discharge using the Mann Whitney U test for continuous data and χ 2nominal data. Logistic regression analysis (stepwise method) was used to determine factors for the lift use after home discharge. The study was approved by the ethics committee of the hospital. Results Of the 33 patients, 13 patients adopted to use a lift at home. The median ages of lift use and the non-lift use patients were 79.0 (IQR 67.0-82.0) years with 10 males and 3 females, and 90.0 (IQR 84.5-90.0) years with 16 males and 4 females, respectively. Intergroup comparisons showed that the lift use group was lower in age, had higher the FIM social cognition and had a high rate of instructions for caregivers than the non-lift use group. The instructions for caregivers were the only factor related to using a lift after discharge (Odds ratio: 9.00, p = 0.007). In terms of discharge outcome, the lift use group had higher the FIM communication and social cognition sub scores and a longer length of stay. Discussion We found that instruction for caregivers was related to the factor of the lift use, and a higher score on the discharge FIM cognitive in the lift use group. It implies that an opportunity of instruction to use a lift could facilitate using a lift, and communication among a patient, caregivers and hospital staff during the instruction could improve the patient’s social cognitive function.