An essential piece of medical equipment, procedure chairs facilitate medical procedures, examinations and treatments for patients. Their durable construction and materials resist microbial growth and facilitate easy cleaning, making them the ideal choice for healthcare facilities.
Working closely with specialists, we have shaped our procedure chair designs to align seamlessly with workflows, addressing concerns such as maneuverability, patient access and caregiver access and designed to safely transport patients. Learn more about our range of procedure chairs below.
Patient Comfort
Patient comfort has been identified as a critical factor in patient satisfaction and recovery. Studies repeatedly demonstrate that patients are more receptive to treatment and have better results when they feel comfortable during their visit. Therefore, it is important to offer a range of tools that help medical offices to meet patient needs.
The present study identifies influences on patient comfort and develops a multidimensional framework representing patients’ perspectives on what is important to their comfort–the CALM (comfort always matters) framework24. This framework has implications for practice and quality initiatives to reduce unwarranted variability in care that affects comfort. It is based on two stages: an integrative review of relevant literature and semistructured interviews with patients. The interview guide was informed by the conceptual framework and questions explored influencing factors across the framework themes.
Several dimensions contribute to patient comfort, including the indoor physical environment and the social environment. In the physical environment, things like air quality, temperature, lighting and noise impact comfort. In the social environment, interpersonal communication, privacy and a sense of belonging contribute to patient comfort. The culture of the hospital also impacts patient comfort as does the need to be culturally connected.
Achieving patients’ goals of a safe and efficient healthcare system is a priority for many hospitals, but focusing solely on efficiency can lead to compromises that can compromise patient safety. The current study demonstrates that a service that prioritizes patient comfort and minimises distress can be achieved without compromising safety or effectiveness. This is consistent with Hippocrates’ quote, ‘To cure sometimes, to relieve often, and to comfort always’.
Reduced Anxiety
Anxiety is a very common and very real experience for many patients. It’s one of the reasons why they often dread going to the doctor. They may know they need a checkup, but all the other things that happen before they get in the exam room add up to create a recipe for stress and anxiety.
From a design perspective, it’s important to focus on making the patient experience as comfortable as possible. Cold, grumpy staff and a front desk that’s in disarray don’t do much to help patients feel calm and at ease. Waiting rooms that are crowded with chairs side-by-side and have loud spaces where conversations between staff members can be overheard also contribute to the feeling of dread and fear associated with a medical appointment.
Fortunately, there are ways to address some of these concerns. A simple solution is to display calming artwork in the waiting room and offer more comfortable seating options like exam chairs. This is particularly important if you see a lot of patients who are anxious about the appointment.
Another way to reduce patient and family anxiety is by ensuring that a procedure chair offers the same benefits of pool-REST, as well as providing a seat that’s similar but not identical to the environment experienced during pool-REST, to serve as an active comparator. This type of REST has been shown to reduce state and uncertainty anxiety, as well as improve serenity ratings. This was demonstrated in a pilot study where participants completed a series of six sessions of pool-REST and chair-REST.
Reduced Physical Strain
The process of getting patients from a hospital bed into a chair is called “ambulation.” It requires nursing personnel to assist the patient in performing various activities such as turning, walking, standing, transferring and sitting. These activities are often very time consuming and require a lot of physical effort for both the patient and healthcare professionals.
A medical exam chair can help reduce this burden. Designed to be used for lengthy cosmetic procedures like podiatry, gynecology, or colposcope exams, procedure chairs can save caregivers valuable time and energy by reducing the number of maneuvers required.
Champion’s medical exam chairs feature innovative seating solutions that optimize patient flow from admission thru discharge. Our procedure chairs are a great choice for hospitals because they allow patients to move from the chair to a gurney and back again, while providing caregivers with the flexibility to position patients safely and effectively. These features can also improve patient outcomes by minimizing risk, maximizing space and enhancing productivity. Our model 464 exam/procedure chair is ADA compliant and offers luxurious comfort with SmartTech and ComfortSync technology.
Easy Transfer
Often, medical staff can complete examinations and procedures more efficiently in a procedure chair than they can on an exam table. This helps reduce patient discomfort, which also enables medical professionals to work faster and improves the overall process.
Additionally, many medical treatment chairs can be fitted with a wide range of specific accessories designed to facilitate patient care. These include things like IV poles, monitor boards and oxygen storage options. There are generally not as many additional accessories available for trolleys, but many of these can be fitted to both the head and foot ends of a stretcher.
As a result, medical facilities that upgrade from a stretcher to a procedure chair experience reduced maintenance costs over time. These savings are a direct result of the durability and functionality offered by procedure chairs, which help ensure the equipment remains in excellent condition over time.
The design of procedure chairs is often intended to make cleaning and disinfection easier than on a stretcher, too. This is because the materials used in the upholstery are typically made to be durable and easy to wipe down. This helps prevent the spread of infection while promoting a hygienic environment in your facility.
The wide variety of adjustments offered by modern procedure chairs allow healthcare professionals to position patients precisely and comfortably. These adjustments include settings for height, tilt, backrest, leg rest and armrests, which provides a comfortable position that supports the body. It also ensures that medical professionals have unobstructed access to the patient and minimizes the risk of injury during examination and treatment.
Easy Cleaning
As healthcare facilities strive to maintain sterile environments, cleaning chemicals are used regularly to reduce infection risks. Upholstered furniture is typically easier to clean if it’s made of a material that’s easy to disinfect. Procedure chairs are generally designed with durable materials and are engineered to be more resistant to microbial growth than exam tables. Seamless upholstery and minimal crevices are essential for preventing contamination, while features like locking mechanisms provide patient safety and stability.
As the healthcare industry moves towards a patient-centric model, medical facility furniture must meet the needs of patients and families as well as caregivers. The right procedure chair can help promote a positive patient experience during treatment by improving comfort and mobility.
For patient and caregiver health, the best upholstered chairs should be easy to clean. All nooks and crannies, especially those on adjustable parts of chairs, should be wiped down before disinfecting to remove dust and debris that can harbor bacteria. Woven fabric chairs should be sprayed with a non-toxic cleaning solution, followed by a damp cloth to rinse off any excess cleaner.
Healthcare facilities are also looking for seating that’s durable and can withstand frequent contact with healthcare chemical cleaning solutions. Durable materials are ideal, and the best upholstered chairs for healthcare facilities are made from synthetic fabrics or materials like Kwalu’s innovative surfaces. These materials withstand repeated contact with the harsh cleaning products used in hospitals, and a recent study showed they harbor 92% less C. diff than metal, so they’re a safer choice for patient rooms and beyond.
To learn more about the best procedure chairs for your healthcare facility, speak to an MTI team member today. Our ADA compliant chairs offer superior caregiver access, luxurious comfort and customizable options that will elevate your healthcare facility.