# Design for EMS practitioner



## IndustrialDesigner (Oct 3, 2011)

Hi forum readers,

I am a senior industrial design student, and I am researching for my senior design project. I need your help on information that relates to your field of study. I need help with information about your experiences with certain tools or complications with systems that you use everyday. I also understand that there may be people who have a lot of experience and people who are just starting. Here are the areas I will be focusing on. 

Some of the areas that I am exploring are:

How EMSs treats a person at the site and gets them safely into the vehicle for transport.

•	What are your issues on spine boards, stretchers and getting the person in safely. 
•	What are your concerns when making sure the person is secured and ready for transport. 
•	Do you have enough room in the back of the ambulance with the stretcher in there? 
•	What do you think is not efficient?
•	Ergonomics of the tools you use


Equipment You have to carry or use, on site and during the ride to the hospital. 

•	Problems operating equipment.
o	Too many buttons
o	Inefficient tools 
o	Tools that you think are just out date in look and feel

•	Is there a case that you carry with you and how hard is it to grab things when you need it
o	Do you pack the case yourself?
o	Does the case fit your needs. 

Lastly, the EMSs handle the patients and may have bodily fluids on them.
•	What do you wear on your hands
•	Does blood ever get on your arms
•	What happens when it gets on the fabric of your cloths

Thanks a bunch for reading. Thank you also for posting.


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## IndustrialDesigner (Oct 3, 2011)

*Design for EMS practitioners*

Hi forum readers,

I am a senior industrial design student, and I am researching for my senior design project. I need your help on information that relates to your field of study. I need help with information about your experiences with certain tools or complications with systems that you use everyday. I also understand that there may be people who have a lot of experience and people who are just starting. Here are the areas I will be focusing on. 

Some of the areas that I am exploring are:

How EMSs treats a person at the site and gets them safely into the vehicle for transport.

•	What are your issues on spine boards, stretchers and getting the person in safely. 
•	What are your concerns when making sure the person is secured and ready for transport. 
•	Do you have enough room in the back of the ambulance with the stretcher in there? 
•	What do you think is not efficient?
•	Ergonomics of the tools you use


Equipment You have to carry or use, on site and during the ride to the hospital. 

•	Problems operating equipment.
o	Too many buttons
o	Inefficient tools 
o	Tools that you think are just out date in look and feel

•	Is there a case that you carry with you and how hard is it to grab things when you need it
o	Do you pack the case yourself?
o	Does the case fit your needs. 

Lastly, the EMSs handle the patients and may have bodily fluids on them.
•	What do you wear on your hands
•	Does blood ever get on your arms
•	What happens when it gets on the fabric of your cloths

Thanks a bunch for reading. Thank you also for posting.


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## ffemt8978 (Oct 3, 2011)

Duplicate threads merged.


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## IndustrialDesigner (Oct 3, 2011)

*Innovation for EMS users*

Hi forum readers,

I am a senior industrial design student, and I am researching for my senior design project. I need your help on information that relates to your field of study. I need help with information about your experiences with certain tools or complications with systems that you use everyday. That way I can understand and design something that an EMS would use out in the field to make their life a little easier. Here are the areas I will be focusing on. 

Some of the areas that I am exploring are:

How EMSs treats a person at the site and gets them safely into the vehicle for transport.

•	What are your issues on spine boards, stretchers and getting the person in safely. 
•	What are your concerns when making sure the person is secured and ready for transport. 
•	Do you have enough room in the back of the ambulance with the stretcher in there? 
•	What do you think is not efficient?
•	Ergonomics of the tools you use


Equipment You have to carry or use, on site and during the ride to the hospital. 

•	Problems operating equipment.
o	Too many buttons
o	Inefficient tools 
o	Tools that you think are just out date in look and feel

•	Is there a case that you carry with you and how hard is it to grab things when you need it
o	Do you pack the case yourself?
o	Does the case fit your needs. 

Lastly, the EMSs handle the patients and may have bodily fluids on them.
•	What do you wear on your hands
•	Does blood ever get on your arms
•	What happens when it gets on the fabric of your cloths

What are your thoughts on personal safety when it comes to saving lives?


Thanks a bunch for reading. Please if you can, share with me your expertise. Thanks again


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## IndustrialDesigner (Oct 3, 2011)

if possible can you remove these? since there aren't enough people looking at it in this category i have swtiched it to emstalk. Thank you.


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## Handsome Robb (Oct 3, 2011)

Forward or rear facing seats next to the gurney so we can provide pt care and still be safe, forward facing would be best. Cabinet with medications, IV supplies and other necessary supplies within reach of said seat while still being strapped in. A way to secure the monitor during transport. There's plenty of room in a Type I/III. 

A gurney that lifts itself and loads itself.


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## ffemt8978 (Oct 3, 2011)

IndustrialDesigner said:


> if possible can you remove these? since there aren't enough people looking at it in this category i have swtiched it to emstalk. Thank you.



No.  Triplicate threads merged, so please don't do it again.


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## Leafmealone (Oct 4, 2011)

> A gurney that lifts itself and loads itself.



What we need is a remote control for the gurney, so that one person can operate it.... Give it like a video camera, and the ability to turn through doorways. This can all be done from the rig. Then, when you get to the patient, out comes 2 large forks that go under the patient....


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## firetender (Oct 4, 2011)

*Get narrow!*

It looks to me like you're bogging yourself down by a shotgun approach to figuring out what needs re-design. You will spend the next three months sorting through what you get from here. And even at that, different services use different approaches/equipment.

I'd take ONE of your areas of concern that interests you and *then* pick our brains. Right now you're going to end up with a lot of responses that will not help YOU decide where you can contribute.

In this case, for example, go for the bodily fluids thing, learn about what's available and THEN come back to us to find suggestions for bettering what is currently being done.


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## Handsome Robb (Oct 4, 2011)

Leafmealone said:


> Then, when you get to the patient, out comes 2 large forks that go under the patient....


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## IndustrialDesigner (Oct 4, 2011)

I wanted to see what people would say about their experiences with what they have used already and how it has worked for them. 

Let say I go into the protection against contaminants route. 

Do you end up with bodily fluids on you or your uniform? 
If so, what do you do about that if you get another call and your needed? 

What is your sanitation routine every time your back from a job?


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## IndustrialDesigner (Oct 4, 2011)

@NVRob: Fun idea, though the patient still needs to be lifted on to a backboard. Now if that back board had a place where a fork can go into. That would be the solution to your lifting a person with a fork. 

On a more serious note...
Please see what you can answer about Sanitation and contamination. I would like to design something to keep people who are out on the job safe from illnesses or protected against bodily fluids since we never know what another human being has in their blood. 

Thanks for the replies. They have been helpful.


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## Leafmealone (Oct 5, 2011)

How about a power gurney that is as lightweight as a regular stryker gurney, that can operate with the same ease. We got a power gurney about a year ago, and I've only used it twice. It's too bulky for some of the tight corners we have to go through, and too heavy for practical use IMO.


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## lawndartcatcher (Oct 6, 2011)

As a design student you should already know that not only do you need to be familiar with uesability and aesthetic principles but also with the industry you're going to design for - a perfect example is the "work triangle" in kitchen design (the distance and placement between the prep counter, stove and sink is critical for someone to be able to function in that kitchen due to the way that the average cook works (cut food on prep surface, move food to stove, move pot to sink, move materials from prep surface to sink, fill pot with water, etc.).

While a survey is a good start to finding out about how a particular field or group performs, in the case of EMS (and particularly since you seem to be interested in "all things EMS" as opposed to a single area) I would suggest you find a local EMS organization who might let you ride along as an observer. Actually witnessing how folks work in a rig (and how well we can set ourselves up for success or failure at 3am) will be a lot more helpful than a written survey, particularly since the majority of EMS providers will, unfortunately, not give such a lengthy list the appropriate attention (usually because they get distracted by something shiny).

If you haven't already read it as part of your education, I'd highly recommend "The Design of Everyday Things" as well as "Universal Principles of Design". Both give good hints into the mechanics behind good design (such as "don't put a push bar on a door you're supposed to pull, no matter how good it looks")

That being said, I can probably offer a couple of actually useful observations:

The less someone has to move around in the back of an ambulance, the better. In general, providers have a specific role, and tend to stay in place. The provider responsible for airway, for instance, should be able to stay in the airway seat as much as possible to avoid bumping into other providers (who also have their own jobs to do); most of the airway equipment is thus stored in cabinets above or around the airway seat. Our ambulances have redundant controls on each side of the bench so providers don't have to move around in the back of a moving ambulance to turn the lights on.
Redundancy is critical, especially at 3 am. Label your red button "Self Destruct - Do Not Push Me!". Some folks are color blind, while others simply don't read. We lose more ambulances that way...
Righty-tighty, lefty-loosey. Stick with the common modalities of our society - if you're supposed to turn something on use a knob that spins to the left (to turn on / open) and right (to reduce the level / close). 
If you have to stop to read the directions, it's too complicated
KISS. We work in chaotic, noisy conditions. We can't often hear above the shouting / screaming / sirens / beeping, so we've started to use hand signs in the back of our ambulance. Sometimes they're even repeatable in polite society. Don't depend on aural warnings since we'll tune them out. Sliders should be considered before up and down buttons since they give immediate visual feedback to the user.
Avoid any porous material or anything with sharp edges. When I was in EMT school (and dinosaur, Jr. roamed the earth) backboards were made of wood and Paramedics stuck used IV needles in the bench seat. If you're going to design anything it needs to be either disposable or easily decontaminated. Avoid sharp creases (such as would be found between a floor and a wall) since dirt and biocontaminates can lodge in there. I have noticed a trend toward a gentle curve between floors and walls in ambulances, which allows disenfectants to flow into and allow an EMT to get a brush through for good decontamination.

In case you're wondering, I'm not just a Paramedic, I also have a degree in design...


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## medicdan (Oct 6, 2011)

OP, I strongly encourage you, if you're interested in doing a project involving EMS equipment or workflow, to ride along and observe daily activities as much as possible, before reaching for our sometimes untrained assessments of poor ergonomics. Contact a local ambulance service and see if you can hop on for a shift or three...

If you're looking for information about sanitation practice, consider doing research on the transmission of antibiotic-resistant diseases such as MRSA, VRE, c.diff, etc. Consider looking into decontamination practices currently used, requirements for mechanical v chemical cleaning, and hazards to the users of currently used chemical cleaners.


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## traumaluv2011 (Oct 6, 2011)

emt.dan said:


> OP, I strongly encourage you, if you're interested in doing a project involving EMS equipment or workflow, to ride along and observe daily activities as much as possible, before reaching for our sometimes untrained assessments of poor ergonomics. Contact a local ambulance service and see if you can hop on for a shift or three...
> 
> If you're looking for information about sanitation practice, consider doing research on the transmission of antibiotic-resistant diseases such as MRSA, VRE, c.diff, etc. Consider looking into decontamination practices currently used, requirements for mechanical v chemical cleaning, and hazards to the users of currently used chemical cleaners.



Most likely they would ask you to have a CPR card that is the only thing you truly need to ride on an ambulance. How else would students get service time on an ambulance?



NVRob said:


>



I think if you had one of those, that would greatly reduce response time, unless you had one that can go like 40 mph.


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## IndustrialDesigner (Oct 6, 2011)

Thanks a bunch for the detailed post about the what tos and not tos. 

I have gone to a local fire station because they have an ambulance there. I wouldn't think I would be able to ride along with them. I don't have a CPR cert. or train in EMT. I think that would be a liability issue if I were to go. I will ask though and see what can happen. 

As for my design research, I have looks at what kinds of things are used on the field. It might not be in the tools that you are using, but it may be in the flow of how teams are communicating to each other. I will look into how the system flows a little deeper that way I can spot areas where it may need more attention then redesigning a current product. 

Thanks for all of your support. I will be posting up more info and updating my questions as I go more in depth with my research.


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## bigbaldguy (Oct 6, 2011)

Id love to see a pair of gloves that goes all the way to our shoulders for when we have to deal with homeless folks whj may not have had a showerSymptoms


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## ffemt8978 (Oct 6, 2011)

bigbaldguy said:


> Id love to see a pair of gloves that goes all the way to our shoulders for when we have to deal with homeless folks whj may not have had a showerSymptoms



They have those...but you may have to order them from a veterinarian supplier.  I know I've seen Mike Rowe wear them on several occasions for his "Dirty Jobs"


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## Handsome Robb (Oct 6, 2011)

IndustrialDesigner said:


> . I wouldn't think I would be able to ride along with them. I don't have a CPR cert. or train in EMT.



We allow observer only ride alongs at my agency. No training required, just a release form. It just depends on the agency, your best bet is to call and ask. You wont be doing anything besides observing. The crew might let you 'play' with the gurney a bit without a patient on it or maybe carry some bags, depending on their policies, but you still can see how we work.


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## lawndartcatcher (Oct 7, 2011)

IndustrialDesigner said:


> _I have gone to a local fire station because they have an ambulance there. I wouldn't think I would be able to ride along with them. I don't have a CPR cert. or train in EMT. I think that would be a liability issue if I were to go. I will ask though and see what can happen. _
> 
> Well...this might be an excellent excuse for you to get a CPR card.
> 
> Where (geographically) are you? What school are you attending? It occurs to me that one of the true strengths of this forum might be to connect you with a service that would be willing to let you ride along and observe.


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## systemet (Oct 7, 2011)

IndustrialDesigner said:


> I wanted to see what people would say about their experiences with what they have used already and how it has worked for them.
> 
> Let say I go into the protection against contaminants route.
> 
> Do you end up with bodily fluids on you or your uniform?



On unprotected skin?  This happens to everyone at some point, sometimes as a result of carelessness, sometimes due to the patient communicating non-verbally (spitting or throwing feces).  Occasional droplet exposure from people coughing / sneezing too close to me.  Every now and again some blood will get on my skin.

My hands are always covered in gloves from the moment I leave the ambulance (many people disagree with this, but I do it).  Safety glasses.  Ballistic vest under the shirt.  I try to wear long-sleeved shirts, even in the summer.  If I'm on the highway a reflective vest or jacket.   On cold days, wet days, and some traumas, I'll wear waterproof pants as a bloodborne pathogen barrier.  Helmet on MVCs / construction sites.

If I get a dermal exposure, I'll just wipe it off, spray some disinfectant over the area, and remember to wash well when I get to the ER / the station.  If the uniform gets soiled, it usually waits until the call's done, unless it's a lot of stuff.  If the waterproof jacket / pants are soiled, I'll usually just spray them down, and use some disinfectant.  If any other type of material is soiled, we go out-of-service, and I pick up a spare at the station.

On me: if we include really minor exposures, a couple of times a year, perhaps?    

On the uniform: Minor debris, maybe every 2nd shift.  Bad enough to change part of the uniform out, once or twice a month, perhaps.




> If so, what do you do about that if you get another call and your needed?



Depends on the circumstance.  If there's other units available, and the level of the soiling, etc.  If it's just a small amount of blood on the pants, and I can spray it with some disinfectant, and it's not contacting my skin, I might take the call.  If I'm covered head to toe in vomit, I'm changing and showering.

So, if it's significant, someone else takes the call.  




> What is your sanitation routine every time your back from a job?



Me: wash my hands, spray down my stethoscope / glasses, drink a coffee.

Equipment / ambulance: throw out the garbage, change the linen, restock the equipment, spray down the surfaces.  Mop the floor (unfortunately often with the same mop bucket that 100 other ambulances have used in the last hour or two)  :sad:

Realistically, the cleaning is a pretty quick surface clean most of the time.  If I've had someone with active respiratory disease, feverish and coughing away, then I'm going to spend a little longer.  So I guess it's guided a little by my perception of the infection risk.

Units get pulled off the road and deep-cleaned by someone else about once a month.


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## IndustrialDesigner (Oct 8, 2011)

Thanks a bunch for the info about contamination situations. 

I will be trying to spend a day with the local ems workers. Then update a thread about further research. Thanks being so helpful with all information has been given. More questions on the way after I narrow down my research.


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