Promoting the feelgood factor

摘要

Once, functionality was all that mattered in the development of healthcare equipment, but the need in the UK for patients to treat themselves at home will mean a bigger role for design. The new emphasis on 'choice' in the provision of healthcare has encouraged equipment manufacturers to think more carefully about the look and feel of the their products: What effect does their appearance have on patients? Are they easy to use? There is an increasing amount of patient choice in the US and now in the NHS, including choice of drugs and choice of hospital. It is not just accepted that we will use that given product,' said Charles Tavner, the healthcare business unit manager for Cambridge Consultants, which has worked with manufacturers on designing medical products ranging from inhalers to a fertility tester.