ABSTRACT

Objective: The purpose of this study was to develop a bath chair and verify its effectiveness in terms of the convenience and safety of stroke patients. Methods: The subjects were 20 stroke patients admitted to a rehabilitation hospital in a metropolitan city. As a research tool, a bath chair prototype was developed based on a Delphi survey and subjective opinions from the subjects. A Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA), questionnaire (usability assessment and open questionnaire), and Korean version of Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction Assistive Technology (K-QUEST 2.0) were used as assessment tools. As a statistical analysis, a t-test was conducted before and after applying the bath chair prototype. Results: As the results from before and after using the bath chair prototype indicate, the REBA levels of action regarding the use of bath ware and a showerhead are lowered from ‘high’ to ‘normal’ and ‘low,’ respectively. In addition, in the usability test, convenience was considered to be ‘proper’ and seven other items expressed values of ‘normal’. In addition, the prototype was deemed ‘satisfactory’ in terms of effectiveness, whereas seven other indicators showed a level of ‘normal’. Conclusion: The bath chair developed in this study is expected to not only be effective in improving the convenience and safety of the bathing activity of stroke patients but also to serve as an assistive device to reduce their physical burden.