The relation between patient discomfort and uncompensated forces of a patient support device for breast and regional lymph node radiotherapy

Abstract

Although many authors stated that a user-centred design approach in medical device development has added values, the most common research approach within healthcare is evidence-based medicine, which tend to focus on functional data rather than patient wellbeing and comfort. End user comfort is well addressed in literature for commercial products such as seats and hand tools but no data was found for medical devices. A commercial patient support device for breast radiotherapy was analysed and a relation was found between discomfort and uncompensated internal body forces. Derived from CT-images, simplified patient free-body diagrams were analysed and pain and comfort evaluated. Subsequently, a new patient position was established and prototypes were developed. Patient comfort- and prototype optimization was done through iterative prototyping. With this approach, we were able to compensate all internal body forces and establish a force neutral patient free-body diagram. This resulted in comfortable patient positioning and favourable medical results.

Crawl positioning improves set-up precision and patient comfort in prone whole breast irradiation

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5-Year Outcomes of a Randomized Trial Comparing Prone and Supine Whole Breast Irradiation in Large-Breasted Women

“…1,10,22 However, prone breast board technology has improved, resulting in higher patient comfort and position reproducibility. 23,24 Furthermore, the reduction in lung doses in prone position cannot be ignored, 1,4 and prone position and DIBH can be combined. 3,25 The combination leads to the lowest heart and lung doses.…”

Breast radiotherapy in elderly women: myths, controversies, and current techniques in the adjuvant setting

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