Supporting a Safe Patient Handling and Mobility Program with Power Toilet Lift Technology

Workplace injuries are costly – for workers and the businesses that employ them. Injuries take a significant physical, mental, and financial toll on workers. For employers, injury claims and lost productivity can add up to millions in lost revenue. 

Hospital workers suffer a disproportionately high number of workplace injuries – roughly three times more than other full-time employees.¹ Implementation of a safe patient handling and mobility program (SPHM) can significantly reduce hospital worker and patient injuries. 

According to one analysis of OSHA logs and incident reports across four hospital facilities, injuries related to toilet transfers make up an average of nearly 10% of total patient-handling injuries². Power toilet lifts, designed to provide full sit-to-stand assistance for mobility-limited patients, are an excellent, cost-effective way to mitigate this common cause of injury, while also preventing in-bathroom patient falls.

Reducing Musculoskeletal Injuries for Healthcare Workers

Musculoskeletal injuries account for around half of all reported injuries/illnesses among nursing staff.³ Of those injuries, about 1/3 are due to patient handling activities.⁴ 

Nurses perform a significant amount of lifting and patient positioning throughout the day, every day. An article from the American Nurse reports that “during a typical 8-hour shift, a nurse lifts a cumulative weight of about 1.8 tons.”⁵ Even with proper lifting techniques, such sustained, repetitive lifting may cause musculoskeletal injuries. 

With patients needing to use the toilet multiple times each day (and night), toilet transfers are a common source of daily lifting. One research paper found that toilet transfers (bed-to-toilet, toilet-to-bed, chair-to-toilet, toilet-to-chair) accounted for over half of all reported lifts/transfers performed by hospital nurses who participated in the study.⁶

Assisting patients on and off the toilet requires a substantial amount of force. In a study designed to investigate the physical effects of performing toilet transfers, lab testing revealed that caregivers exert an average of 46lb of force when assisting individuals on and off standard toilets.⁷ This study also looked at the biomechanical demands made on specific regions of a caregiver’s body when performing toilet transfers. 

The study then examined these same measures when using a LiftSeat power toilet lift and found that not only did the LiftSeat reduce the average force required, but it also reduced specific forces on several regions of the body, most notably spinal compression. 

Reducing Patient Fall Risk

Falls are one of the most common causes of preventable patient injury in hospitals.⁸ Many falls occur as patients attempt to use the bathroom, with some studies attributing half of all falls to toileting.⁹

Power toilet lift technology (especially units that can be used both in the bathroom and bedside) can help reduce toileting-related patient falls. By providing complete sit-to-stand support, this technology maximizes safety while minimizing the need for assistance using the bathroom, enhancing the overall patient experience and leading to greater patient satisfaction. 

Cost Savings and ROI for Healthcare Facilities

Workplace injuries are costly to hospitals, and patient-handling-related injuries make up a sizable portion of that expense. One large-scale survey found that approximately one in four worker’s compensation claims within the healthcare industry are related to patient handling injuries.³

The financial success of implementing SPHM programs has been well documented across numerous case studies. Hospitals that invest in patient-handling technology and training have fewer staff injuries and decreased injury-related expenses. The injury expense savings often vastly outweigh the investment required to implement an SPHM program.³ 

When incorporated into an SPHM program, power toilet lifts can significantly contribute to overall program ROI. Costing just a fraction of an average patient handling injury¹⁰, power toilet lift technology more than pays for itself after preventing a single injury. Given the high number of patient-handling injuries related to toileting, this equipment presents significant ongoing savings potential as well. 
 

LiftSeat Power Toilet Lifts for Healthcare

LiftSeat products are widely used to support safe patient handling and fall prevention programs within the rigorous clinical requirements of hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and long-term care facilities.

As the trusted choice of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, LiftSeat toilet lifts are manufactured within the USA to the highest quality standards, ensuring safety and reliability for both hospitals and patients. 

Designed for versatility, strength, and ease of use, LiftSeat units offer several features to enhance safety and convenience:

Bathroom or bedside use
LiftSeat units are freestanding with locking wheels, allowing them to fit over existing toilets, move easily between rooms, or convert quickly for bedside use.

Lifts up to 750 lbs.
The LS750 has the highest weight rating available, lifting up to 750 lbs.

Simple operation and cleaning
With single-handed push button operation and streamlined design, LiftSeat units are simple to use and easy to wipe down as needed

To learn more about LiftSeat Power Toilet Lifts for healthcare, click here.

References:

1. Worker safety in hospitals - safe patient handling. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (n.d.). https://www.osha.gov/hospitals/patient-handling
2. Monaghan, Heather. (2013). Identifying a Return on Investment (ROI) by Introducing the LiftSeat® Toilet Transfer Solution into a Falls Prevention and/or Safe Patient Handling Program [White Paper]. LiftSeat Corporation. https://www.liftseat.com/sites/default/files/Clinical%20Library/ROI-of-LiftSeat-In-Falls-Prevention-Safe-Patient-Handling-Programs.pdf
3. United States Department of Labor, Safe Patient Handling Programs: Effectiveness and Cost Savings. Retrieved February 14, 2025, from https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/3.5_SPH_effectiveness_508.pdf
4. Pompeii, L. A., Lipscomb, H. J., Schoenfisch, A. L., & Dement, J. M. (2009). Musculoskeletal injuries resulting from patient handling tasks among hospital workers. American journal of industrial medicine, 52(7), 571–578. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.20704
5. DuBose, J., & Donahue, T. (2006, December 11). Taking the pain out of patient handling. American Nurse. Retrieved February 14, 2025, from https://www.myamericannurse.com/taking-the-pain-out-of-patient-handling/
6. Kucera, K. L., Schoenfisch, A. L., McIlvaine, J., Becherer, L., James, T., Yeung, Y. L., Avent, S., & Lipscomb, H. J. (2019). Factors associated with lift equipment use during patient lifts and transfers by hospital nurses and nursing care assistants: A prospective observational cohort study. International journal of nursing studies, 91, 35–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2018.11.006
7. Tideiksaar, Rein. (2008). Toileting and Fall Risk in Acute Care [White Paper]. LiftSeat Corporation. https://www.liftseat.com/sites/default/files/Clinical%20Library/Ergonomic_Evaluation_of_LiftSeat_Patient_Handling_Technology.pdf
8. Dykes, P. C., Curtin-Bowen, M., Lipsitz, S., Franz, C., Adelman, J., Adkison, L., Bogaisky, M., Carroll, D., Carter, E., Herlihy, L., Lindros, M. E., Ryan, V., Scanlan, M., Walsh, M. A., Wien, M., & Bates, D. W. (2023). Cost of Inpatient Falls and Cost-Benefit Analysis of Implementation of an Evidence-Based Fall Prevention Program. JAMA health forum, 4(1), e225125. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamahealthforum.2022.5125
9. Hitcho, E. B., Krauss, M. J., Birge, S., Claiborne Dunagan, W., Fischer, I., Johnson, S., Nast, P. A., Costantinou, E., & Fraser, V. J. (2004). Characteristics and circumstances of falls in a hospital setting: a prospective analysis. Journal of general internal medicine, 19(7), 732–739. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1497.2004.30387.x
10. Monaghan, Heather. (2012). Identifying a Return on Investment (ROI) by Introducing the LiftSeat® Toilet Transfer Solution into a Falls Prevention and/or Safe Patient Handling Program [White Paper]. LiftSeat Corporation. https://www.liftseat.com/sites/default/files/Clinical%20Library/ROI-of-LiftSeat-In-Falls-Prevention-Safe-Patient-Handling-Programs.pdf 
     

This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.