Patients’ comfort is a key factor in their overall well-being and recovery. Whether they’re visiting your medical facility for short-term outpatient care or an extended stay, they need high-quality furniture. The days of rigid treatment chairs and inaccessible design are over. Today’s healthcare spaces are increasingly patient-centric and adaptable — and it all starts with the right medical chairs.
If you’re looking for patient seating for your facility, you have countless options. Here’s what to consider when selecting medical furniture.
Choose the Best Materials
For decades, patient seating has been primarily plastic, perhaps with a cheap vinyl cushion. While these materials are ostensibly cleaner, they’re not always the most comfortable — or able to be fully sanitized. Daily cleaning regimens quickly destroy poor-quality furniture materials, leading to higher facility budgets and rooms full of dusty chairs.
Today, top-grade vinyls are much more resistant to stains and germs. Many feel more like premium fabrics, yet they’re highly durable and easily cleaned. For example, Champion’s medical recliners feature luxurious vinyl with a PreFixx® Finish that wards off stains and abrasions.
No matter what type of medical furniture you’re purchasing, make sure the materials are built to last. It should also have minimal seams or porous surfaces that could allow microbes to grow. And of course, it should be comfortable, especially if patients will be in the chairs for extended periods.
Consider Staff Needs
Depending on the services you provide, your patients may be in chairs for their treatments, as opposed to beds or benches. In many inpatient facilities, caregivers must transfer patients from room to room, in and out of various furniture. That can be a cumbersome and risky task that increases the risk of injury — for both patients and staffers. Innovative stretcher-chairs, such as those in Champion’s TransMotion Collection, help streamline patient flow.
Medical chair design should also consider how healthcare workers interact with seated patients. Repeatedly bending or crouching all day is a recipe for Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSIs). Some nurses and techs stoop hundreds of times a shift to care for patients. It’s no wonder that RSIs are the leading workplace injury among healthcare professionals.
Thus, patient seating must be low enough for easy entry yet high enough that caregivers don’t need to bend over as much. Today, medical furniture designers are also adding swing-away components, built-in IV or oxygen tank stands, and other vital features to make caregiving easier.
Look for Patient Amenities
Patients who must remain seated for a long time often become uncomfortable. Effects range from irritability to outright pain. Sitting puts anywhere from 40 to 90 percent more load on the lumbar spine. Unforgiving chair materials press on sensitive body parts, inhibit airflow, and can even lead to rashes or abrasions. These problems are only compounded for patients with larger body sizes.
A poorly designed chair can also exacerbate chronic issues such as neurological disorders, fatigue, or digestive problems. As those symptoms emerge, they may distract patients from their treatment and recovery.
Ideally, medical seating allows the patient to entertain themselves, easily reach water or tissues, and converse with loved ones just as they would do at home. Inflexible or awkward seating design inhibits their freedom. As a result, patients may frequently call for caregivers to adjust their chairs, fetch them water, or otherwise aid their comfort. That impedes staff’s efficiency in providing treatment.
New trends in medical furniture design emphasize human needs and wants. Patient recliners feature fully adjustable backs, as well as head, arm, and footrests. Built-in USB charging ports and side trays allow patients to keep supplies nearby and connect with loved ones, especially in this digital age. Some, such as Champion’s chairs, even come with heat and massage options to relieve back pain.
Champion Chairs Prioritize Both Patients’ and Caregivers’ Comfort
Modern healthcare furniture is person-centric, emphasizing comfortable and inclusive features rather than rigid or restrictive design. When furnishing your medical facility, consider how you can sustainably fulfill everyone’s needs. The right combination of form and function is crucial to patient seating that’s actually supportive.
That’s what you’ll find in Champion’s diverse collection of innovative medical recliners and other chairs. Browse our ergonomic, patient-friendly products now.
