Study on the Effectiveness and Comfort of Innovative Solutions for the Internal Transport of Patients in Wheelchairs in a Hospital Setting

In 2006, 2012, and 2018, under the auspices of the Pain Control Committee, Gustave Roussy stretcher-bearers conducted studies on patient pain caused by internal transport (stretchers). The first study showed that this pain is primarily experienced by patients initially in pain, and that risk factors include crossing elevator landings and threshold bars, handling, and prolonged waiting times.

A progress plan was developed, and since 2006, improvement initiatives have been regularly implemented. Their effectiveness has been evaluated by patients and the professionals involved (departure department, carrier, and arrival department).

Stretcher-bearing software was purchased following the original study; scheduling has been streamlined, journeys are transmitted to stretcher-bearers via smartphones, and transport times are calculated and analyzed. In 2019, a prototype for connecting patients' IV poles to wheelchairs was developed and tested, thanks to a collaboration between technical services, stretcher-bearers, and the Bureau of Biostatistics and Epidemiology. The time spent by stretcher-bearers transferring infusion sets and other syringe pumps from the patient's IV pole to the wheelchair's pole on the way out, and vice versa on the way back to the room, has been eliminated. The hypothesis is that this elimination would reduce travel times and could have an indirect impact on reducing pain.

Wheelchair comfort has been continually improved since 2006: the front casters were replaced with softer and thicker ones, the rear wheels with soft wheels and then with pneumatic tires; the backrests were replaced with a memory foam model, and the seats with an "ultra-comfort" model. These improvements contribute to better pain management during transport and an improved patient experience. Wheelchair comfort could be further improved by replacing the seats with high-quality "Bultex" models.

In 2022, 33,800 patients were transported in wheelchairs (round trip, one-way or one-way), representing 35% of annual transports. Technical developments and improvements in wheelchair comfort could contribute to reducing pain caused by internal transport.

Primary Objective To evaluate the effect of two interventions (a system for connecting the IV pole to the wheelchair and a new seat) during the internal transport of cancer patients being treated at Gustave Roussy:

Intervention 1: To evaluate the impact of using the IV pole connection system on reducing the duration of wheelchair transport for patients receiving infusions; Intervention 2: To evaluate patient preference for the comfort of a wheelchair seat.

Secondary Objective To evaluate pain in transported patients (before/after)