Ski Sheet vs. WauK® board

1. Cost Comparison

• Cost comparison for evacuating 50 patients from a hospital or nursing home.
• Prices for the WauK® board and Ski Sheet are list prices.
• Prices for hospital bedding are based on quantity discount pricing available on the internet.

	Ski Sheet			WauK® board
Item	Quantity	Unit Price	Total Cost	Quantity	Unit Price	Total Cost
Ski Sheet	50	$190	$9,500
Hospital mattress	50	$159	$7,950
Hospital sheet	50	$6	$300
Pillow and case	100	$31	$3,100
WauK® board				10	$775	$7,750
Patient strap sets				10	$40	$400
Total			$20,850			$8,150
SAVINGS						$12,700

2. Feature Comparison

Issue	Ski Sheet	WauK® board	Comments
Quantity required	One needed for every hospital bed that may require evacuation (it is pre-staged on the mattress prior to an emergency).	One needed for every 5 patients that require evacuation.	Fewer WauK® boards required for an evacuation plan. **
Additional Equipment	Requires use of the mattress and bedding along with the Ski Sheet for evacuation.	No additional equipment required.	The WauK® board does not require use of additional equipment.
Tight Spaces	The width and length of a hospital mattress.	Only 17-1/2" wide and is taken upright during patient evacuation using the dolly function of the WauK® board.	The WauK® board fits through narrow doorways and small stairwells while the Ski Sheet requires a double door opening to allow for the width of the mattress.
Capacity	352 lbs (160 kgs)	500 lbs (227 kgs)	The WauK® board has a greater capacity.
Patient comfort	Not rigid. Patient is in awkward positions during evacuation ("J" like position when going from stair landing to steps).	Rigid (patient remains supine)	This is a major concern because the patient is placed in awkward positions on the Ski Sheet during evacuation (for example when going from stair landing to steps).
Patient comfort	Patient feels the effect of going over steps and across the edge of a landing onto the next flight of steps.	Rigid (patient remains supine)	The WauK® board prevents patient discomfort because the patient is rolled down the steps, not dragged over the steps on a mattress.
Tight space maneuvering	Large footprint because it is the length and width of a mattress and it remains horizontal throughout evacuation (through doorways, down stairs, on stair landings, etc.).	Small footprint; dolly feature allows it to be raised to an upright position (through doorways, on stair landings, etc.).	The WauK® board is easier to maneuver through tight spaces.
Lifting by first responder	Much lifting with the back as well as the legs due to dragging patient thru hallways and down stairs.	Lifting primarily done with legs because the WauK® board is a dolly.	The WauK® board is more effective at preventing back injury because it is designed for the first responder to lift with their legs, not their back.
Lifting by first responder	Dragging thru hallways much more difficult when carpet is involved such as in a nursing home.	Dolly like feature allows rolling over all surface types.	The WauK® board is more effective at preventing back injury because the patient is rolled rather than dragged across all surfaces.
Cost	$190 ea. for every hospital bed at set up + the cost of 1 mattress + 1 sheet + 2 pillows	$775 ea. + $40 for straps	Total cost of the WauK® board is less than the total cost of Ski Sheets (five times as many Ski Sheets required; Ski Sheets require replacing mattresses used in evacuation).

** The WauK® board is intended to be reused during an evacuation. The patient is transferred from the WauK® board to the ambulance gurney and the WauK® board is taken back upstairs for another evacuation.

3. Training Videos

• WauK® board Training Video