Designing for Accessibility: The Stand-Assist Chair and Beyond

Summary

In this article, we explore the importance of designing public spaces, particularly healthcare settings, with accessibility and patient experience in mind. We discuss a stand-assist chair designed for individuals with disabilities and its potential market outside of healthcare settings. We also address the need for voluntary standards to improve patient experience and the challenges of implementing them. Additionally, we examine specific design elements that can improve patient experience, such as soundproofing and improved lighting and air quality, and the role of crowdsourcing in creating patient-centered designs.

The Stand-Assist Chair: Improving Independence and Movement
Designing for Accessibility and Patient Experience in Healthcare Settings
Voluntary Standards for Patient-Centered Design
Specific Design Elements for Improved Patient Experience
Crowdsourcing Patient-Centered Designs

The Stand-Assist Chair: Improving Independence and Movement

The stand-assist chair is a piece of furniture designed for individuals with disabilities that allows for easier movement and independence. The chair has been successful in hospitals, but there is potential for its use outside of healthcare settings, such as in restaurants and hotels. The chair is an example of the importance of empathy and accessibility in public spaces.

Designing for Accessibility and Patient Experience in Healthcare Settings

Designing the built environment with public health and population health in mind is crucial, particularly for the elderly and those with disabilities. LEED certification is a way to improve the environmental impact of buildings, but it doesn’t necessarily address issues related to patient experience and accessibility. Voluntary standards could be developed to address these issues, but implementing them can be politically challenging. Design elements such as soundproofing and improved lighting and air quality can improve the overall hospital experience for patients.

Voluntary Standards for Patient-Centered Design

Voluntary standards for patient-centered design could address issues such as accessibility and patient experience in healthcare settings. However, implementing such standards can be politically challenging. The speaker suggests that a coalition of healthcare providers, designers, and patient advocates could work together to create and implement these standards.

Specific Design Elements for Improved Patient Experience

Soundproofing, improved lighting, and air quality are specific design elements that can improve patient experience in healthcare settings. Designers can also consider the use of colors, textures, and artwork to create a more calming environment. The speaker is involved in designing furniture and other elements for hospitals with these considerations in mind.

Crowdsourcing Patient-Centered Designs

Crowdsourcing patient-centered designs, such as through platforms like Pinterest, could be a way to create more patient-centered healthcare settings. Medical schools can also address the issue of patient-centered care by incorporating it into their curriculum. The speaker gives an example of a neonatal intensive care unit where lights and sounds were turned down to create a more calming environment. Designers have addressed similar issues in airplane cabins, but not yet in hospitals.

Conclusion

Designing for accessibility and patient experience in healthcare settings is crucial for improving overall patient outcomes. The stand-assist chair is an example of successful design for individuals with disabilities, and there is potential for similar designs to be used outside of healthcare settings. Voluntary standards and specific design elements can improve patient experience, and crowdsourcing can be a way to create more patient-centered designs. The challenges of implementing these changes should be addressed by a coalition of healthcare providers, designers, and patient advocates.