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

Notes

Z Seated height became the de facto height measurement method because this height is most relevant to clinicians as they conduct physical examinations of patients.  Consequentially, health care professionals who are purchasing examination tables and chairs typically focus on the seated height dimension.

AA For adjustable height chairs with footplates, as the height of the chair seat (transfer surface) moves up and down, the footplate moves up and down at the same time (i.e., with a fixed vertical distance between the seat and footplate). Therefore, reducing the low height of the seat will increase the likelihood of the footplate colliding with the floor.  However, shortening the vertical distance between the seat and the footplate could result in the uncomfortable body positions shown in Figure 4.1.

BB The Advisory Committee did not compare the relative effectiveness and safety of the prone breast biopsy table and the alternative upright stereotactic biopsy system to determine whether these are equivalent options for breast biopsies.

CC Patients are typically sedated to: minimize their discomfort during the procedure; and minimize their movements during procedures that often require very careful manipulation of instruments within constrained spaces (e.g., blood vessels). Patient movements in these circumstances could cause potentially life-threatening complications.

DD According to the National Cancer Institute, less than 1% of breast cancers occur in men (http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/malebreast/Patient).

EE The ability of a scooter user to remain seated in her swiveled scooter seat and receive a successful mammogram image depends on multiple factors, including the size of her scooter, the ability to raise and lower the scooter seat, whether there is sufficient room to maneuver the scooter, her physical abilities (e.g., to rotate her torso), and the skill of the technologist.