Strengthening capacities for caregivers to choose a valid lifting technique at daily practice Erasmus Project

Project Title

Strengthening capacities for caregivers to choose a valid lifting technique at daily practice

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Health and wellbeing

Project Summary

Short summary of the eUlift project

There is a high prevalence of spine related absenteeism within caregivers. Use of the right lifting technique could prevent spine related injuries.
But lifting techniques are hardly customized to the situation or the need of the caregiver and do not rely on the self-thinking ability. As well there is a lack of precision of the techniques and innovation in how they are taught.
This leads to the following project focus: how to enhance the long-term learning effect in patient handling for caregivers?

Output 1:
All partners together developed an e-book based on best practices and best evidence. It is available in the language of each participating country, through our app (see output 4). To collect the current best practices concerning lifting techniques for caregivers, we created a survey for patient handling trainers. The survey focused on basic patient handling principles,
Although not proven effective in patient handling, OSHA guidelines and ISO/TR 12296:2012 were the most described methods. Detailed descriptions of best evidence, how to perform patient handling and teaching methods are still lacking. Our e-book combines best practice with best evidence and covers all most important aspects of patient handling for caregivers. Table of content: general ergonomics, anatomy and function, biomechanics, general causes of back pain, pathology and dysfunction, pain education, postures, natural movements, basic postures and movements, care tasks. All aspects are illustrated with our own drawn caregiver and patient, the star of our show: Nina and Jacob.
Output 2: learning outcomes.
An essential part of the project is the teaching and training of the caregivers. For that reason, we defined learning outcomes. Learning outcomes are statements that describe the knowledge or skills caregivers should have acquired by the end of a particular assignment, class, course, or program, and help caregivers understand why that knowledge and those skills will be useful to them. They focus on the context and potential applications of knowledge and skills, help caregivers learn in various contexts, and help guide assessments and evaluations.
How did we define learning outcomes?
All learning outcomes were defined by the team and reviewed by an educational expert. Learning outcomes can be examined in the Train the trainer manual, on our website: eulift-app.com
Output 3: didactics
A specific didactical approach is used when teaching patient handling. We gathered all the best practices regarding the organization of the patient handling training from our partners.
To obtain an overview of the best evidence, we systematically reviewed the didactics caregivers applied to patient handling.
Much research has been done on the topic of patient handling, but none of that research has focused on the effectiveness of the applied didactics when teaching caregivers about patient handling. Should we use individual or group training, home-based learning, simulations? All didactics can be found in the Train the trainer manual.
Output 4: the app
Our app is an innovative and technological method to deliver our content. We developed it in close cooperation with our IT partner in Finland and with a 3D animations expert. All scenarios were drawn and reviewed several times with the team. The images and 3D videos used for patient handling education are our own, referred as Nina (caregiver) and Jacob (patient). Our app is freely available for Android and IOS. In the app there are four sections: the handbook (see output 1), animations of the basic postures, animations of the care tasks and the assessment of the patients mobility. To assess the patients mobility we used a standardized assessment, valid within caregivers. By answering a few basic questions the caregiver will see the patients mobility level and the caregiver can now choose what kind of transfer to perform.
Ouptut 5: train the trainer
The train-the-tainer handbook is availalbe in all languages through our website: eulift-app.com. It a focus and guideline for trainers in patient handling like ergocoaches, manutention person, reference person or ergonomic of the care setting.

First launch of eUlift was well accepted and welcome in practice.
eUlift is getting implementated in practice, true and long-term results needs to be waited for.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 320564,47 Eur

Project Coordinator

KATHOLIEKE HOGESCHOOL VIVES NOORD & Country: BE

Project Partners

• AZ Alma
• ATHLON S. COOP. LTDA
• Externe Dienst Voor Precentie en Bescherming Securex
• Nordic Health Finland Oy
• Nordic Health Alkmaar
• David Gerincklinika Zrt.