High-capacity equipment
usually costs more — in
some cases, much more —
than traditional equipment,
but it's vital to safe and
humane handling of an
obese patient. For some
facilities, this issue can
extend to the physical
plant itself. Architectural
features like hallways,
bathrooms, recovery areas
and door frames must be built or retrofitted to accommodate larger
patients.
6. Transportation and safety
As anyone in a hospital or surgical center knows, back injuries are too
often suffered by staff when transporting patients. In fact, according
to a June 2017 report on hospital worker injuries by the U.S.
Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics
(osmag.net/Xa3QzK), the most common event leading to injuries in
2015 was overexertion and bodily reaction, which includes injuries
from lifting or moving patients. It stands to reason that the heavier the
patient, the more likely an injury could occur, so it's vital that staff are
equipped and trained properly to lift and move obese patients.
Enough staff should be on hand at all times to safely transport the
obese patient; no one needs to be a hero and overexert themselves.
Lifts — portable, ceiling or both — are becoming standard features of
facilities that handle obese patients.
As with the other equipment, it's expensive to integrate lifts into a
9 6 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 9
• SENSITIVITY TRAINING Make sure your surgeons and staff are sensi-
tive to the stigma of being overweight in today's society.
