SteeLCaSe eMPath FeatureS Central lock (dual-sided) Back recline paddles Footrest control lever molded urethane upper arms
Casters Footrest scallop Bumpers
Fig. 8.3_ Sample infusion chair which takes patient needs into consideration (Georgetown Community Hospital, 2016).
the in FuS ion Ch air Because patients often need to sit in infusion chairs for extended periods of time, their design is critical to the treatment process. However, the design and functions of infusion chairs are standardly held to a minimum standard while the many helpful features a patient may want are considered to be optional. In a focus group of cancer patients, it was discovered that patients want “A sense of control…because cancer takes away your control” (Wang, Pukszta, and Cayton, 2011). Specifically, they wanted increased control over light, sound and temperature. Unfortunately, these functions are not always put into chairs because they are not considered to be a part of the minimum set of standards. This minimum is due to furniture having to meet stringent design criteria that has been placed upon all medical furniture
equipment (malone and Dellinger, 2011). one chair that does manage to meet all criteria and still push the boundaries of infusion chair design is the Steelcase Empath (See fig. 8.3). The Empath is the result of 2000 plus hours of research and observation into patient interaction and seating (Steelcase, 2016). This chair could be seen as a suitable example of what can be accomplished when chair designs reach beyond the baseline standard requirements.
Have a Seat, Have a laugh
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