ABSTRACT
The market for medical devices used in the home and alternative sites has increased dramatically in the last 10 years and has reached an overall estimated size of more than $1.6 billion [FIND/SVP, 1992]. In the past, hospitals have been thought of as the only places to treat sick patients. But with the major emphasis on reducing healthcare costs, increasing numbers of sicker patients move from hospitals to their homes. Treating sicker patients outside the hospital places additional challenges on medical device design and patient use. Equipment designed for hospital use can usually rely on trained clinical personnel to support the devices. Outside the hospital, the patient and/or family members must be able to use the equipment, requiring these devices to have a different set of design and safety features. This chapter will identify some of the major segments using medical devices in the home and discuss important design considerations associated with home use.
