The effect of power stretchers on occupational injury rates in an urban emergency medical services system

Background

To examine occupational injury rates in a dual-response emergency medical services (EMS) system before and after implementation of a power-lift stretcher system.

Methods

The seasonally-adjusted occupational injury rate was estimated relative to medical call volume (per 1000 calls) and workers (per 100 FTEs) from 2009 to 2019, and stratified by severity (lost-time, healthcare only), role (EMS, FIRE) and type (patient-handling). Power-lift stretchers were adopted between 2013 and 2015. Preinjury versus postinjury rates were compared using binomial tests. Interrupted time series (ITS) analysis was used to estimate the trend and change in injuries related to patient-handling, with occupational illnesses serving as control.

Results

Binomial tests revealed varied results, with reductions in the injury rate per 1000 calls (−14.0%) and increases in the rate per 100 FTEs (+14.1%); rates also differed by EMS role and injury severity. ITS analysis demonstrated substantial reductions in patient-handling injuries following implementation of power-lift stretchers, both in the injury rate per 1000 calls (−50.4%) and per 100 FTEs (−46.6%), specifically among individuals deployed on the ambulance. Injury rates were slightly elevated during the winter months (+0.8 per 100 FTEs) and lower during spring (−0.5 per 100 FTEs).

Conclusions

These results support the implementation of power-lift stretchers for injury prevention in EMS systems and demonstrate advantages of ITS analysis when data span long preintervention and postintervention periods.