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Design Bugs Out: Patient Chair

Design Bugs Out: Patient Chair

The new patient chair is both comfortable and easy to clean

Design Council

Removable seat covers, waterproof padding and smooth surfaces encourage regular cleaning and improve patient comfort.

The challenge

The key challenges in the delivery of a new patient chair are to:

• Maximise patient comfort

• Aid patient recovery

• Facilitate staff/patient interaction

• Maximise cleanability and protection against HCAIs.

Comfort is critical to the success of the product, particularly as patients are prone to sores/tissue damage when positioned in the same place for long periods of time. Current patient chairs generally use foam upholstered in vinyl to provide comfort. Problems with this solution are:

• Vinyl reduces comfort for the patient as it is impermeable and sticks to skin.

• Vinyl tends to crack, allowing dirt and bacteria to enter the foam substrate.

• Liquids/germs can enter the foam substrate via upholstery seams.

This presents the central problem: how can you deliver comfortable foam cushioning that can be cleaned easily and efficiently?

Design solution

The design uses removable foam pads that mount onto a single smooth plastic shell. The number of intersections and joints between parts has been reduced to minimise the harbouring of germs. The upholstery pads are sealed, waterproof and easily removed for cleaning. Removable covers (like bed linen) create a clean, comfortable surface to ensure each patient always gets a freshly made-up and clean chair. By tapping into the established systems and culture of remaking a bed with sheets, staff training can be minimised.

The separation of function and comfort in the design means that damaged components can be easily replaced without having to condemn or recondition the whole product.

Height adjustability allows each patient to sit in a chair which is ergonomically optimised. This improves comfort, aids recovery and reduces the dangers of bed sores and tissue damage. An aluminium star-base allows other equipment such as IV drip stands to slide easily under the chair.

You can see a video showing the design process for the Commode and the Patient Chair here.


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  • Photo_user_blank_big

    2ambrokennail

    about 1 year ago

    14 comments

    The arms are too low, a patient who suddenly felt 'woozy' would tip over them, also we teach pt's to push themselves up from the arms, if they are too low it will force them to let go too soon and reach for whatever aid they may be using. They also look like ugly 70s office furniture.

  • N734926878_7694_max50

    scorchio75

    about 1 year ago

    2 comments

    @Pete: According to Pearson Lloyd (the design team behind the patient chair), the chair is height adjustable but does not swivel. It has also been tested for patients up to 30 stone.

  • Photo_user_blank_big

    Pete

    about 1 year ago

    16 comments

    I see that the chair is of a swivel and ? tilt type design. I’ve learned from home use such chairs are prone to the metal brackets connecting chair to central pillar snapping or tearing after a years use. So what is the recommended maximum weight for a patient using these chairs?

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