Storage space in any hospital is often scarce, this is especially true for a children’s hospital. Wagons are stored vertically to make the most of floor space. This way three vertical wagons can share the same floor space as one horizontal wagon. Rollie Pollie was specifically designed to give wagons a stable “Kick-stand” to save space.
Design Requirements Based on End-User Needs
Our approach to design uses a comprehensive approach to satisfy a wide range of end-user needs. Through extensive observational research, we learned several important requirements that guided the design of the Rollie Pollie device.
Wagons are Donated
In a children's hospital, previous patients and their families will donate all sorts of items as a gesture of gratitude for the care they received or in honor of lost loved ones. Regardless personal items donated to the hospital are received with gratitude and used whenever possible. In the case of wagons, many are constructed so well that their useful life extends beyond that of a typical childhood. This means that hospitals a clinics have a steady source of free durable patient transport vehicles perfect for their patients.
Design Insight 1: NO NEW PLATFORMS
Hospital budgets are often tight, and the likelihood that a hospital will pay for a new patient transport platform that solves a problem is low if they can get the current solution for free and use their staff and families to navigate the problem gap with additional physical effort. The new design should complement the existing solutions by improving the process for moving patients, not compete as a new product item.
Solution 1: ROLLIE POLLIE ATTACHES TO MANY EXISTING PAITENT TRANSPORT VECHILES.
Space for Wagons is Limited
Hospitals and clinics are regulated by accreditation standards that dictate where equipment can be stored when not in use. This rule is intended to keep the hallways and common areas free of clutter should an emergency require unencumbered access to an exit or patient. This limitation means that creative storage solutions must not limit access to the patient transport equipment or clutter the hospital common areas.
Design Insight 2: The manufacturer of one of the leading brands of wagons illustrates that their product can be inverted and the handle tucks under the base to conserve space at home. The same solution can be applied in the healthcare environment. The Rollie Pollie device can stay attached to the patient transport device while supporting the recommended storage mode.
Solution 2: THE DEVICE HAS ENOUGH CONTACT WITH THE FLOOR TO SUPPORT A STABLE INVERTED WAGON IN KICK STAND MODE.
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