It’s no surprise that medical carts have to be designed with their functionality in mind. However, one design consideration that isn’t always as intuitive is the human factor. Even though this design consideration determines your medical cart’s efficiency when it’s put to the ultimate test in the workplace, it’s often overlooked during the discovery meeting. Adapting to human factor requirements is a lot easier when you’re able to identify those issues right away, so we’ve developed a list of questions to help you get started.
5 Questions to Consider When Designing for the Human Factor
1.Who will use the medical cart?
Collect as much information as possible about how the end user will work with the cart. Find out which features will make their jobs easier, and get their help to prioritize those requests. Sometimes customers may want all of their equipment stored on one cart. However, accommodating their request could make the cart less functional. Providing a two-dimensional, full-scale print of their cart helps customers and engineers optimize the cart’s footprint for its desired application.
2. Where will the medical cart be located?
Find out more information about the work environment. Are there any unique obstacles, such as rough floors, large thresholds or tight spaces the cart will pass through? Determine how much space the cart can occupy based on where it will be used and stored.
3. How should the cart be used?
Ask how the user will interact with the cart. Determine features that can ease users’ fatigue and increase their efficiency. For example, could the cart include a foot rest? Does it need to be height adjustable? Does the end user have easy access to all the equipment? Is the cart easy to maneuver?
4. Could any of the cart features cause confusion?
Make the design as intuitive as possible. Analyze which features the usermight not understand and test out solutions to prevent people from causingsafety hazards or damage.
5. What equipment will the medical cart hold?
Find out whether the equipment can be hidden, or if it needs to be visible.Evaluate if the monitor screen will have to be seen from a certain angle. Take into consideration the weight of each item on the cart, and design toaccommodate optimal lifting heights.
At HUI, we understand the benefits of asking these questions early in the designprocess. The answers will help you create a custom medical cart that not only functions well, but also thrives in its specific workplace. Contact us today if youhave any questions about human factor concerns for your custom medical cart designs.
