Paramedics' Behavior Patterns When Transferring Non-Mobile Patients from the Ground to a Stretcher.

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Transferring non-mobile patients from the ground to a stretcher represents one of the riskiest tasks for musculoskeletal disorders among emergency medical technicians-paramedics (EMT-Ps), but there is little information available on how they perform in real-life work situations. Methods: This study aimed to describe EMT-Ps' patterns of behavior observed from field data and highlight safe work operations. A secondary analysis was conducted on 27 videos collected during EMT-Ps' responses to live calls. Contextual variables (workspace and external assistance), operations during the preparation subtask (move patient or interfering objects and adjust stretcher's height and position), and movements and postures related to the transfer subtask were extracted from the videos. Results: The results demonstrate that despite stratification based on similar contextual factors (equipment and limited workspace), EMT-Ps' behavior varied between interventions during the preparation and transfer subtasks. Several operations to adjust the patient-stretcher configuration before the lifting phase were carried out to facilitate patient transfer, but these were not always optimal from a safety perspective. Strategies such as fast loading (1 out of 4) and the use of external assistance (6 out of 15) were beneficial in certain circumstances. Conclusions: EMT-Ps demonstrated their ability to analyze the situation, organize accordingly, and adapt their behavior by applying these safety skills.