“No One Size Fits All”: Developing a Site-Specific, In-Hospital Mobility Intervention—The Walk For®

The few protocols aimed to improve in- hospital mobility require further work to response to site-specific needs and available resources. The presentation will describe a process of developing a site-tailored mobility intervention considering local barriers and resources followed by an adoption of aspects from the MOVE-ON® intervention. A Mixed-methods study included in-depth interviews (n=10), assessment of medical team’s (n=90) and patients (n=200) attitudes, behaviors and knowledge toward mobility in two internal medical units was conducted. Findings show that patients walked less than their ambulation at home and below their ability during hospitalization. Surprisingly, patients’ attitudes toward mobility were more positive than the medical staff’s. Mobility was not considered essential to the standard of care. Nursing assistants were recognized as a competent sector to promote patients’ mobility. Preliminary results show high satisfaction from the Walk FOR® intervention and mobility increased by more than 50%.