[A training experience for hospital workers employed in the manual lifting of loads (Bressanone Hospital): its contents and the verification of efficacy].

A check-up of the efficacy of training in the specific field of disabled patient handling was made in the Bressanone Hospital. Some members of the staff had been previously trained in this subject and afterwards they organized courses for all the staff engaged in patient assistance. Before and after this course a series of parameters were recorded on appropriate cards, that enabled a comparison to be made of the various positions assumed by the workers during patient handling, with a concise assessment made for each manoeuvre. Altogether 80 manoeuvres were studied in the medical departments, 40 before and 40 six months after the training course. The results obtained were not up to expectations even though on the whole the number of manoeuvres judged totally incorrect was reduced considerably from 43% to 15%. This was due to a lack of coordination in the action plan drawn up for improvement of this risk factor and especially to failure to purchase equipment (for raising patients, minor aids and wheelchairs). It is stressed that training of health care staff on the topic of risk factors present in hospital environments must be considered as a part of hospital management strategy and therefore developed according to well defined programmes and methods.