The Patient Transfer Scale is improving palliative care
Maintaining high standards of comfort and dignity is vital to end of life care but can be tricky when it comes to patient weight. The Patient Transfer Scale is the new solution making great strides in improving palliative care.
The Patient Transfer Scale was developed to revolutionise the practice of weighing immobile and critical patients.
It is the current standard to estimate the weight of patients who are immobile or in critical need of time sensitive drugs. The Patient Transfer Scale has eliminated this need for estimation as the patient can be weighed in seconds using the existing process of lateral transfer from trolley to bed. The scale, that is essentially a patient transfer board combined with a weighing scale, is the brainchild of former ED nurse Gillian Taylor.
The Patient Transfer Scale
We’ve just launched an animated video, created to explain the benefits of the PTS but also to educate viewers in the need for such a tool in hospitals - and of course end of life care. Watch below to see how the Patient Transfer Scale works.
Since its launch this year the Patient transfer scale has not only transformed critical care but is actively improving palliative care. We’ve just published a new case study, (read full study here), examining the use of the PTS at Kilbryde Hospice, near Glasgow. Deputy Clinical Lead Nurse Ann-Majella McFadden gave us insight to how the PTS has made a difference to patient weighing.
Weighing with care
The PTS was designed to remove the stress of weighing an immobile patient. The PTS is gentle and dignified unlike the common alternative, a hoist scale, which many find cumbersome and undignified.
Ann-Majella stated “One of the real differences with using the Patient Transfer Scale to weigh immobile patients is that weighing can be carried out so discreetly."
Accurate drug dosages in palliative treatment
Dignity and discretion aside, for many conditions, an accurate weight reading is vital to providing accurate drug dosages. Yet traditional scales made ascertaining the patient's weight difficult.
“For many of our patients the weighing process would just not be possible, [sic] the Patient Transfer Scale undoubtedly allows for a process to take place which leads to the safe prescribing of drugs, the efficacy of therapies and ultimately the comfort of our patient group.”
Kilbryde Hospice has demonstrated that a real difference can be made when the PTS is used for palliative care.
To close our case study Ann-Majella concluded: “The Patient Transfer Scale has been a fantastic piece of equipment which has actually made a real difference to the care and management of our patient group here at Kilbryde Hospice.”
To find out more about Kilbryde Hospice click here.To find out more about the Patient Transfer Scale click here, or contact us.