MAPO
Movement and Assistance of Hospital Patients — Movimentazione e Assistenza Pazienti Ospedalizzati
Overview
MAPO is an ergonomic risk assessment method — specifically designed to assess the risk of musculoskeletal disorders associated with the manual handling of patients in hospital and healthcare settings. The method evaluates five factors that determine the ov erall patient handling risk — the frequency of manual patient handling operations, the adequacy of patient lifting and transfer equipment, the suitability of wheelchairs and other assistive devices, the ergonomic adequacy of the physical environment, and t he training given to healthcare workers in safe patient handling techniques. These factors are combined into a MAPO index that classifies risk and guides intervention priorities for healthcare facilities.