Differing perspectives: Evaluation of a new IV pole by children and adults.

Involving children in the evaluation of hospital environments has been recognized as important. It is argued that this should extend to engaging children in the evaluation of medical products. A study was undertaken to evaluate how children, parents/caregivers and nurses viewed the design of a new intravenous (IV) pole compared to the existing IV pole currently used. Children and adults were asked to give their perspectives on mobility, safety, aesthetics and functionality of the new and existing IV poles. The findings suggest that children value different aspects of medical product design than adults. We conclude that designers, manufacturers and healthcare organizations should recognize the importance and benefit of involving children in the design of medical products that will ultimately be used by them.