The sliding mats reduce the frictional resistance while moving the patient. They are particularly helpful in easing patient transfers in bed, into the shower gurney, the wheelchair etc.

Depending on the patient’s functional capacities, the sliding mat also supports
the chest and pelvis for positioning and turning onto the side. The
sliding mat can be employed in a multitude of other utilizations, such as
repositioning a particularly heavy or a premedicated patient, or a patient
that requires a particularly extensive amount of care, from a supine to a
prone position when combined with additional aids.