Improving the Ergonomic working conditions of Ophthalmologists

Abstract

In this master's thesis in collaboration with het Nederlands Oogheelkundig Gezelschap (NOG), or the Dutch ophthalmic society, I developed an industrial design concept to improve the ergonomic working conditions of Ophthalmologists.

25% of Dutch Ophthalmologists (surgical eye doctors) have suffered from musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs) during their careers, according to research by NOG. As a result of my research, including interviews with 14 Ophthalmologists currently employed in Dutch medical institutions, I concluded that 5 out of the 7 musculoskeletal injuries, experienced by Ophthalmologists, are in the back, shoulders and neck area. The concluded causes of these MSIs are equipment that does not accommodate for doctor/patient height differences, and neglect of personal health in favour of patient satisfaction.

Height Matcher is a redesign of the ophthalmic examination unit, integrating patient chair and equipment table, and upgrading their capabilities. The repositioning of components also allows the ophthalmologist to do standing examinations. The concept was validated through various user tests and expert interviews. By extending the height range that the unit can be set to, speeding up its adjustment, and introducing a separate eye height measurement, height Matcher enables the ophthalmologist to maintain an ergonomic posture during examination, without sacrificing patient satisfaction or comfort. With the concept, an ophthalmologist will have their eye height measured at the start of their career. This is done by a second person, ensuring proper posture and measurement. They measure the sitting and standing eye heights. When the ophthalmologist goes to work in the outpatient clinic, the two eye heights are dialled into the data profile using the interface panel on the examination unit. The equipment table moves to bring the eyepiece to the ophthalmologist’s eye height.

When the patient comes in, the ophthalmologist can adjust the patient’s chair forwards/backwards and up/down depending on the patient’s proportions. If the ophthalmologist wants to examine the patient in standing position, they press the mode change button, to transition from sitting to standing mode. The patient chair and slit lamp table move up proportionally, to maintain their relative distance, for seamless working. The doctor examines the patient as usual, with good ergonomic posture for both.