Ergonomics and design for sustainability in healthcare: ambient assisted living and the social-environmental impact of patients lifestyle

Abstract

This work presents considerations on Ergonomics and Design for Sustainability in the healthcare field based on research experiences of the Technology and Design for Healthcare (TeDH) research group of INDACO (Industrial design, communication, arts and fashion) department of Politecnico di Milano. In order to develop a multidisciplinary approach to design able to answer to specific user needs such as elderly in an environmental sustainable way (1) this paper shows the results we achieved concerning ergonomics and environmental impact in product development (2), the extension of this approach to interior and home design and the advantage of the application of Information Communication Technologies (ICT). ICT can help people with special needs to make their everyday life easier and more safe, at the same time, ICT can make socialenvironmental impact of everyday behavior evident and can be applied to manage sustainability. The specific theme is thus to integrate ergonomics and sustainability competences in the development of Ambient Assisted Living through a Product-Service System approach. The concept of product service system has the potential to improve product performances and services, establish new relations and networks with different actors in order to satisfy user needs and apply a systems approach considering environmental, social and economic factors in the users' environment.

Effects of Technology Use on Ageing in Place: The iZi Pilots

“…Self-reliance was measured using the “Impact on Participation and Autonomy Questionnaire” (IPAQ) [ 9 , 10 ]. The IPAQ consists of five domains: autonomy indoors, family role, autonomy outdoors, social relations, and work and educational opportunities.…”

Sustainable Technology and Elderly Life

“…In this regard, Ref. [104] proposed a Product-Service-System approach for integrating ergonomics and sustainability competences in the development of Ambient Assisted Living, an initiative based on the research experiences of the Technology and Design for Healthcare (TeDH) research group in the INDACO (Industrial Design, Communication, Arts and Fashion) department at the Polytechnic University of Milan.…”

Wooden door preferences based on lifestyle theory and consumer behaviour theory

“…This approach to product design is an integrated human (user)-machine (product)-environment (natural and social environment) design approach that highlights the principle of humancentred design, starting with planning the human form of existence for product design. In the past, consumer research in the design world did not start by systematically considering the life form of the consumer but often started with an isolated product or part of it (Andreoni et al 2012). Today, the study of life forms has matured and is widely used in product development to segment markets by consumer lifestyles rather than by traditional levels of technology (Huang 2014).…”