The OR is one of the most expensive resources at the hospital. The medical team invests huge efforts in administrative and medical preparations for the operation, from identifying the patient, through explaining the course of the operation, to technically preparing the patient for the procedure. Studies indicate that when patients arrive at the operation calm, they respond better to the anesthesia and even recuperate more quickly.
Many of the patients awaiting surgery enter the preoperative area in the hospital without any escort and without communication with the outside world, and they are in fact completely disconnected from anything that may provide them with certainty and security. Waiting for the operation can make them feel fearful, alone and helpless. Many patients do not understand their own fears and their emotional experience sometimes remains unheeded.
This project deals with the emotional aspects of waiting for an operation by providing a set of tools, for the patient’s own choosing. These tools include an “attention person” whose role is to lend an ear to the patient in the preoperative area and/or distract their attention, and an iPad installed in each bed, with contents helping to alleviate anxiety. Attending to the emotional aspect, in addition to the medical preparations, may improve the patient’s experience and the outcomes of the operation and recuperation.
Irit has worked for 25 years as a textile and fashion designer and buyer at Delta, Kitan, and Keds, leading processes such as collection building, trend analyses, market profiling, and strategic planning. She transitioned to the social sector and she currently works at the JDC-Israel Tevet Division. As part of the knowledge and professional development team there, she is responsible for professional events and conferences, contributing to the advancement of populations excluded from the labor market. Irit’s strengths include empathy, creativity, original thinking, and social involvement. In the future, she intends to combine both fields in designing services and improving patient/client experiences. Irit has a B.Des in textile design from Shenkar and an M.Des in industrial design from Bezalel