Human-Centered Design Process for a Hospital Bed: Promoting Patient Safety and Ease of Use

Abstract

The modern hospital bed is a sophisticated medical device, and its users represent a diversity of abilities and needs. To develop a new bed, Hill-Rom studied these users in nearly 500 hr of observation across 29 hospital units. Focus groups were used to evaluate early concepts, and formative usability testing included over 130 users to evaluate design prototypes. This research and testing resulted in the development of the Centrella bed, which includes new features to address patient satisfaction, patient safety, and caregiver efficiency. The resulting design is the winner of the 2017 Stanley Caplan User Centered Design Award.