Digitalized interaction of a patient hygiene solution within a care environment

Abstract: Today, the population is getting older and the demand on long-term care facilities is increasing. Faster, less relaxing and undignified washing methods are more prone to be used, such as showering or in bed washing. Arjo strives to increase bathing and to include a feeling of wellness, making bathing a dignified and relaxing experience. This, in order to increase the quality of life for people facing mobility and age-related problems in line with their tagline “with people in mind”. This thesis, written by two biomedical engineering students, investigates the opportunities regarding how a digital tool can create an added value, contributing to facilitate the bathing procedure for caregivers and enhancing the bathing experience for the residents. With an approach of person-centred care, especially important for people with dementia and easy integration of the digital tool in the daily workflow, this solution aims to increase bathing at long-term care facilities. Needs for Arjo, caregivers and residents were established through evaluation of the company, information received at study visits and through interviews, in combination with literature studies. By using theoretical design and design principles, solutions in terms of concepts were generated and visualized in iteratively created low- and high-fidelity prototypes of a digital app. These were used to evaluate both the concepts and the design of the user interface in the prototypes. Both the conducted in-person tests, online tests and the online survey, indicated a positive attitude to digital prototype, with some parts having potential for further development. This user interface of the final prototype is a first version to visualize the generated concepts and should be further developed. Also, several concepts should be further investigated in order to improve the usage in the practical workflow and to improve the user experience of the app.