LAUSR

BACKGROUND Increasingly, occupational and physical therapists are using safe patient handling and mobility (SPHM) equipment, such as mechanical lifts, in rehabilitation. However, there is little guidance in the literature on how SPHM equipment can be used to assist patients to reach rehabilitation goals. The purpose of this projectwas to document and categorizecommon and innovative waysrehabilitation therapists use SPHM equipment in their clinical practice. OBJECTIVE This article investigates common and innovative uses of SPHM equipment in rehabilitation practice. METHODS Occupational, physical and kinesio therapist employed at the Veterans Health Administration wrote narratives and took photosdescribing rehabilitation therapy activities where they usedSPHM equipment in their clinical practice. The authors used a systematic process to review and categorize the narratives and subsequent photos by using the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). RESULTS Thirty narratives (13 innovative and 17 common) were coded into four categories on the ICF section of mobility. The most common category was "changing and maintaining basic body position"(21) followed by ""walking and moving""(5). The category ""carrying, moving and handling objects"" garnered twonarratives and there were no narratives for ""using transportation"." CONCLUSIONS Project findings may serve as a guide for therapists who would like to enhance their use of SPHM equipment in rehabilitation. Additional research is needed to expand the use of SPHM in rehabilitation practice and evaluate the impact on patient rehabilitation outcomes and therapist safety outcomes.