Development and Ergonomic Evaluation of a Mobile Bath and Hygiene Chair: Health, Comfort and Safety

For patients with motor limitations (temporary or permanent) and/or the elderly, a shower chair is an Assistive Technology designed to optimize bathing and hygiene activities, both for the patient and for the caregiver or Healthcare Professional. However, there are ergonomic issues in the use of common shower chairs that can lead to risks for users, involving aspects such as comfort, efficiency, and safety in their use. The aim of this work is to develop the design of a mobile chair for bathing and sanitizing, focusing on the needs of direct users (patients) and indirect users (Healthcare Professionals), complemented by an ergonomic assessment of the final product, based on functional, structural, and anthropometric aspects. The research is of an applied nature and its development was divided into three phases: (Phase 1) Theoretical Basis, related to the relevant themes of the project and gathering of technical information; (Phase 2) Development of the Bath Chair Project, using the Orientation Guide for Project Development (GODP, MERINO, 2016), which has a human-centered approach, (Phase 3) Ergonomic Evaluation of the Final Product, considering functional, structural and anthropometric aspects. As a result, it was possible to design and manufacture, on a full scale and fully functional, a mobile chair for bathing and hygiene, using the principles of User-Centered Design.