Getting Patients Moving Again: A New Hospital Mobility Plan

Staying still in the hospital can be dangerous for older patients. When people can't move around much during their stay, they often get weaker, fall more, need extra help at home, or even face higher risks of dying. Doctors and nurses know that helping patients walk and move is important, but doing this every day in busy hospitals is hard.

Many hospitals try special programs to get patients moving, but these usually need extra staff, special equipment, or more time. Most hospitals don't have these resources, so the programs never really work in real life. The INTOMOB project tried something different. Instead of adding more stuff, it changed how things already work.

This plan looked at three main areas: the patients themselves, the doctors and nurses who care for them, and the hospital rooms and halls. By changing how all three parts work together, the team hoped to make moving patients easier without needing new money or staff.

They first tested the idea with a small group of patients. It worked well enough that they tried it again with 383 patients across several Swiss hospitals. This bigger test was done the right way, with some patients getting the new plan and others getting regular care. The results are ready to be shared soon.

The goal is simple: help patients move more while they're in the hospital, using what's already there. If this works, it could change how hospitals help people get stronger during their stay.