Recommendations on Standards for the Design of Medical Diagnostic Equipment for Adults with Disabilities, Advisory Committee Final Report

COSTS TO LOWER MINIMUM TABLE HEIGHT

To be useful for its intended purpose, examination tables and chairs must maintain a high height of at least 32 inches, so that the health care provider has clinical access to the patient. In fact, 37 inches is the standard high height today for OB/GYN examinations. The need to reach heights above 32 inches interferes with efforts to lower the transfer surface height. The mechanical system necessary to raise the table are located in the base of the table, beneath the seating surface. As the difference between the required low-height and the necessary high-height for health care providers increases, the mechanics necessary to achieve that adjustable range become more complex and expensive.²⁹

Figure 8: Range of medical table heights

In addition, we took the costs of other requirements that the Access Board is likely to adopt into account. Based on currently marketed products, we estimate the following costs:

• Transfer Supports (TS): $500 - $1,000 (M301.3.1)

• Leg Supports (LS): $700 - $1,100 (M301.3.2)

Therefore, the average “upgrade” cost to add transfer and leg supports would be approximately $1,650.

NOTES

^29. The example given here describes an examination table, but the complexity and cost would similarly increase for examination chairs, especially those equipped with footplates. See section 4.1.3 of the full committee report for further details.