Ottolino Winters Huebner, St. Louis, Missouri.
Patient Care Ergonomic Solutions, President, Patient Care Ergonomics Consultant, Tampa, Florida.
J Patient Saf. 2021 Dec 1;17(8):e1522-e1529. doi: 10.1097/PTS.0000000000000537.
The worldwide rate of obesity continues to rise, causing healthcare systems to morph to meet the demands posed by the concomitant increase in comorbidities associated with this condition. Increasing patient weight imposes its own constraints on the safety of patients and providers; therefore, a sound healthcare facility infrastructure is required to properly address the medical needs of patients with obesity. Currently, most healthcare systems-in their attitudes, equipment, and facility design-are ill equipped to meet the needs of this epidemic. In this article, we discuss the facilities and equipment design considerations in providing medical care to patients with obesity. Extending beyond the physical plant, we also touch on organizational elements that enable the healthcare provider to safely care for this challenging patient population. The rising prevalence and disease burden of excess adiposity highlight the obligation to recognize that the design needs common to all of our patients must include the particular needs of the patient with obesity.
全球肥胖率持续上升，导致医疗保健系统发生变化，以满足与肥胖相关的合并症增加带来的需求。患者体重的增加给患者和医护人员的安全带来了自身的限制；因此，需要健全的医疗设施基础设施来满足肥胖患者的医疗需求。目前，大多数医疗保健系统——从态度、设备和设施设计方面来看——都无法满足这一流行疾病的需求。在本文中，我们讨论了为肥胖患者提供医疗服务时的设施和设备设计注意事项。除了物理设施，我们还涉及到使医疗保健提供者能够安全地照顾这一具有挑战性的患者群体的组织要素。超重和肥胖的流行率不断上升，疾病负担不断增加，这突出表明有义务认识到，所有患者共同的设计需求必须包括肥胖患者的特殊需求。
