Dauphin HumanDesign Group provides integrated seating solutions for all situations in a modern hospital / 12 product lines in daily use

Offenhausen – September 2011. Generally speaking, a university hospital is a hospital which is affiliated to the medical faculty of a university. In addition to providing medical treatment, it carries out research and offers teaching for students too. Gießen und Marburg University Hospital (UKGM) is made up of the university clinics of the Justus Liebig University, Gießen and the Philipps University, Marburg. The UKGM is the third-largest university hospital in Germany, with around 5,500 students, approximately 9,560 employees (including physicians, careworkers, laboratory staff, physiotherapists, engineers, computer experts and cooks), 137 professors and 2,376 permanent beds. Each year, 395,000 people (310,000 outpatients and 85,000 inpatients on wards) are treated at 80 different clinics at the two sites in Gießen and Marburg.

Although these impressive figures demonstrate the great potential of this university hospital, the UKGM has made history in Germany for another reason – it is the country’s first privatised hospital of this type. Since January 2006, Rhön-Klinikum AG has owned 95 percent of the hospital, while the remaining five percent remains with the State of Hesse. Since then, the UKGM has supported its specialist medical divisions’ key areas of research even more. In addition to successful collaborations with industry in many areas, products and services which will play a direct role in improving patient therapies are being developed. The architecture of the UKGM is another factor in the hospital’s success. Its design – both inside and outside – promotes patient recovery by avoiding all stress-inducing factors and optimally taking into account the needs of sick people. Recognising the positive effect of light and colour, Rhön-Klinikum AG has refurbished and modernised many waiting and care areas, replacing the furniture and, in particular, the seating at the beginning of this year.

When doing so, it was on the lookout for integrated seating solutions for all situations encountered in a modern hospital. Those responsible found just what they were looking for in the Dauphin HumanDesign Group (DHDG), a pioneer when it comes to integrated design. With five brands (Bosse, Dauphin, Trendoffice, Züco and Dauphin Home) covering the public and residential segments, the group excels in combining synergies and distinctive design.

Waiting decides

Manfred Grabowski, a DHDG representative, explained: “In waiting areas, the same classic errors are made over and over again. These include anything from uncomfortable chairs or old-fashioned furniture in dark colours to seats where the seat height is too low or cloakrooms which are outside people’s field of vision. Waiting can increase customers' expectations of a service and therefore the risk of disappointing and losing them.”

It is a well-known fact that patients who have the impression that they did not have to wait long to see a doctor tend to be more satisfied with the examination that follows. In contrast, if they feel they had to wait too long, they are critical of the doctor’s service too. These patients are then more likely to change doctors or hospitals. In most cases, people perceive the amount of time spent waiting subjectively. Generally speaking, waiting seems to take longer if we do not feel comfortable.

None of this applies at the UKGM, where an open transparent layout, friendly bright lighting and subtle stimulating colours combine to create a practical yet appealing atmosphere. All of the high-quality chairs from the DHDG are comfortable, functional and make waiting a more pleasant experience. The materials also comply with strict fire protection regulations (B1 classification). Dauphin's “Amico” bench system and “Sento” range of chairs are in use in the hospital’s waiting areas.

In patient and treatment rooms, particular importance was attached to hygienic materials which at the same time are visually appealing and pleasant to the touch. In this case, the hospital opted for “Eddy”, “Previo” and “@Just” chairs from Dauphin. In addition, Dauphin’s range of industrial chairs was selected for use in laboratory areas.

For the numerous conference and management rooms at its Gießen and Marburg sites, the UKGM chose Dauphin’s “HighWay”, “Teo2” and “@Just” chair ranges, the “dat-o” range from Trendoffice and the “Cuboflex” and “Rilasso” ranges from Züco.

While the various materials were chosen primarily to suit the functional requirements in their intended place of use, the upholstery colours were selected in consultation with the interior designers to match the building materials used for the hospital's internal fixtures, e.g. doors, window frames and floors.

Between January and April 2011, the DHDG delivered a total of 5,457 chairs to the UKGM, fitting out the entire hospital site – from waiting areas, patient/treatment rooms and head doctors’ areas to secretarial offices, management rooms and the numerous laboratories.