Accessibility and usability of health care equipment for obese patients: A case study in a Brazilian public hospital

Abstract

Obesity is a chronic illness that has been considerably discussed because of its alarming increase. Obese individuals, besides the risk of developing several health and psychosocial problems, have restricted access many products, especially due to problems of size and resistance to weight. Medical and hospital equipment deserves special attention because it demands greater efficiency in promoting patient rehabilitation. This study aimed to analyze if the equipment available in a Brazilian public hospital was satisfactory for obese patients. The research procedure consisted of interviews with professionals and patients, systematic observation of the environment of the study, and metric and descriptive analysis of the equipment. The results indicated that most of the equipment served the majority of the obese patients, even though the equipment was in a bad state of repair. Other products, however, would require immediate intervention to help obese patients.