User-driven innovation: treatment chair that heals
VELA knows the necessity for user inclusion when specialized solutions for hospitals and differently abled people is being developed. That is why uncovering user needs was front and center when design concern developed a new treatment chair for VELA and in cooperation with patients and personnel on Sygehus Lillebælt.
design concern
Deliveries.
VELA
Results.
Better ergonomics for both user and personel
More self-helping users
Application in many departments
Design which creates a more effecient day
About the project.
The desired properties for the treatment chair at VELA was a good seating comfort, adjustability, not to signal illness, make the user more self-helping, and make the daily work for hospital and clinic personnel easier. Furthermore, the chair had to be easy to clean.
design concern performed thorough user research, held a workshop, as well as designed and developed the VELA Rumba chair. The chair was developed in close cooperation with VELA as well as patients and personnel at Kolding and Odense Sygehuse.
The treatment chair is usable in many different departments in a hosital. E.g. neonatal departments where parents with babies born too early can sit for hours – skin against skin.
The chair is also useful as a comfortable treatment chair in dialysis and surgical departments, where patients can use it for restitution after dialysis or smaller surgical operations that doesn’t necessitate a bed.
The chair is designed with the purpose of being homely and thereby discourages associations with hospitals and illness. The chair has made the user more self-helping while the comfort has also been increased.
Additionally, everyday life for personnel has become easier since the patients can manage more themselves with the help of the chair. The working ergonomics for the personnel has also been improved by the chair’s adjustability. Cleaners are not bothered by the chair either since it is designed for easy cleaning.
