Case studies: Design for Patient Dignity

Six teams of designers and manufacturers, as well as healthcare design specialists from the Royal College of Art Helen Hamlyn Centre came up with innovative new designs that show how different privacy and dignity issues for hospital patients could be solved.

These initial design concepts and prototypes will be tested and refined before being made available to hospitals, but what they demonstrate is how designers, working closely with patients and healthcare experts, can bring new thinking to real and important challenges and come up with creative new solutions.

Universal Gown

Universal Gown

This one-size-fits-all gown is reversible, easy to put on and keeps the patient covered up. Its press-stud fastenings mean IV lines can be attached without exposing the skin.

Inclusive Gown

Inclusive Gown & ICU Cover

Alongside a gown which can be worn in most situations, the Helen Hamlyn Centre team also designed a garment for the very specific needs of ICU patients.

Close up of the Reclining Day Chair

Reclining Day Chair, Bay Screen & Poncho

This hybrid between a bed and a chair can be wheeled around the hospital, while the Bay Screen and Poncho give patients a greater sense of privacy.

Retractable Screen

Retractable Screen

A middle ground between a curtain and a wall, this screen is made from fabric sheets stretched across a plastic rib frame, which folds back concertina-style against the walls.

Close up of the Curtain Lock

Lightweight Screen & Curtain Lock

The designers came up with two solutions — a new system of dividers to screen off areas of the hospital and a simple hook to secure existing curtains.

Smart Mirror

Capsule Washroom & Smart Mirror

An enclosed toilet and shower room that can be plugged into existing services, and a Smart Mirror can be retrofitted to existing hospital toilets to improve the washbasin space.

Washroom Pod by Avanti Architects

Washroom Pod

This pre-manufactured washroom is quick, easy and cost-effective to install, improving ward layout and patient privacy with minimum disruption.

Signage System

Signage System

Colour coded signs that show patients which toilets, bathrooms and wards are for men or women. The signs can be easily changed by staff when needed.

Illustration of patient with Patient Information mat

Patient Information

A table mat with ward information printed on it is one way to improve communication between the hospital and the patient, and could be part of a wider information system.

Modular Bed Pod

Modular Bed Pod

This prefabricated modular bed system with its modesty screens, improved acoustics and lighting and additional storage, gives patients more control over their environment.