Dispatch
Reimagining Hospital Bedside Communication Hardware
Role
Research Lead, Product Designer
Timeline
2025
Team
4 members
Skills
Physical Design, User Research, Prototyping,
Universal Design
Introduction
The HCDE Capstone is a 20-week project where senior students collaborate with real industry sponsors to solve complex design challenges. Teams work through the entire design process—from research to final prototype—while managing client relationships and project constraints. Our team partnered with Dispatch to redesign hospital bedside technology systems.
About
Dispatch provides smart bedside tablets for patient-nurse communication, but faces critical hardware challenges.
Dispatch enhances hospital communication by providing interactive bedside tablets, giving patients additional ways to connect with care teams.
However, their current hardware set up creates major operational issues: nurses waste hours on battery replacements, mounting systems are inaccessible to patients with limited mobility, and power failures disrupt communications. These hardware limitations prevent hospitals from fully leveraging this supplementary communication tool.
Planning
We established project planning through client collaboration and comprehensive research on healthcare technology design.
During the planning phase, we worked closely with Dispatch to understand their business constraints and technical requirements. Our research covered medical device usability, universal design principles, and healthcare regulations. We focused specifically on tablet mounting and power management systems, structuring the project into four milestones to guide our process from initial research through final prototype delivery.
Design Question
How might we redesign the bedside tablet system to reduce maintenance burden while ensuring security and patient accessibility?
Field Study
Direct Observation to Understand Environmental Constraints and Hidden Workarounds
On February 28, 2025, our team visited UW Northwest Hospital with coordination from the Dispatch client team. Due to HIPAA restrictions and patient privacy, we focused on empty patient rooms and nursing stations.
Interview
Capturing Healthcare Workers' Perspectives Through Semi-Structured Interview
We conducted in-depth interviews with nurses, unit secretaries, and managers to understand how hardware failures affect clinical workflows. By comparing non-users and Dispatch users, we uncovered emotional stress points and informal workarounds that directly informed our design decisions.
Technical Analysis
Dispatch provides smart bedside tablets for patient-nurse communication, but faces critical hardware challenges.
We analyzed system components and conducted performance tests to identify gaps between advertised capabilities and real-world use. By documenting all hardware elements, we evaluated how the tablet, mount, battery, and accessories functioned as a single integrated system.
Data Research
Working with Alternative Data Under HIPAA Constraints
HIPAA regulations limited direct patient observation and identifiable data collection. We instead analyzed over 70,000 aggregated patient requests from Dispatch to identify usage patterns and prioritize design features.
Competitive Analysis
Benchmarking Healthcare Tablet Mounting Solutions
We reviewed four competing healthcare tablet systems and compared mounting, power, and security approaches. This analysis revealed a gap between affordable cable-based solutions and expensive integrated systems, creating a clear opportunity for our design.
Research findings
Patients need help most when they can’t reach the communication device
Patients perceive call lights and tablets as a single communication channel, and when tablets are out of reach, access to care breaks down for vulnerable users.
Physical Context
Rigid mounts create dead zones as tables shift.
It's tricky because patients can't move it at all, so when their table moves, they might not reach it or see it
Unit Manager A
Interview
+14k
restroom requests
+10k
beeping machine requests
Usage Data
Usage data shows that tablets primarily support frequent, low-mobility care needs.
Daily battery management wastes staff time
The current battery system requires constant manual replacement and causes unpredictable outages, diverting staff time and limiting patient access to care.
Physical Context
Nightly manual charging of 35 batteries, each requiring a six-hour cycle, leads to silent failures that take devices offline during low-staffed night shifts.
The first thing I do is go to all rooms to check... even though I changed it, the next day it's already dead..
Unit Secretary A
Evidence form Interview
+50%
energy loss
Evidence from Technical Analysis
Testing revealed over 50% energy loss, reducing expected three-day battery life to a single day and creating an unsustainable maintenance burden.
Security Vulnerabilities Undermining System Purpose
Fragmented, component-level security allows tablets and batteries to be easily removed or misused, undermining system reliability and patient access to care.
Physical Context
Security relies on a tablet-specific adhesive cable lock, leaving batteries and cables unprotected and shifting theft prevention to staff rather than design.
People often will take the battery and try to take it or plug their own devices into the battery.
Unit Secretary A
Sponsor Requirements
Balancing Innovation with Real-World Constraints
Our solution needed to balance user needs with operational, budget, and security constraints.
Reduce workload
Eliminate daily manual battery replacement.
Budget Constraints
Total cost could not exceed $150 per bed.
Security & safety
Secure all system components, not just the tablet.
Design Ideation
Collaborative Design Decision
We explored multiple mounting concepts and evaluated them with Dispatch through structured trade-off analysis. Based on accessibility, maintenance, safety, and cost considerations, we selected a wired, articulating arm system that improves reach, reduces maintenance, and fits hospital constraints.
Arm Mount System
Bed Rail System
Final Version
Client Feedback & Trade-off Analysis
Prototyping
Iterative Prototyping
Using rapid prototyping, we iteratively refined the system to validate feasibility, communicate constraints, and incorporate stakeholder feedback.
3D Modeling
We used 3D modeling to visualize design concepts early, enabling clearer communication with stakeholders and faster alignment on direction.
Initial prototyping with paper
3D Printing Challenges
Hybrid Solution
Solution
The Complete Solution
We designed a modular bedside tablet system that improves reach, reduces maintenance, and integrates security across all components.
Arm mount with cable organizer
Adjustable aluminum arm that improves reach while managing cables to reduce clutter and tripping hazards.
Secure Tablet Case
Secures power cables to prevent theft and accidental disconnection in shared hospital environments.
Cable Lock
Protective tablet case with an integrated cable joint and patient-facing handle for secure, easy access.
Features
Features Supporting Safe and Reliable Access
The following features work together to ensure continuous, secure, and safe access at the bedside.
Cable Integrated Case
Integrates the charging cable directly into the case to provide continuous power and eliminate daily battery swaps for staff.
Lockable Security Case
Secures the tablet and cable with staff-only access, while a rounded, safety-first design reduces injury risk.
Cable Organizer
Keeps long power cables managed and out of the bedside pathway.
Cable Lock
Anchors the cable to prevent theft and accidental disconnection and trippin hazards.
Outcome
Successfully reducing workload and costs in hospital
We gathered baseline data through interviews with hospital staff and validated our improvements through controlled prototype testing in simulated environments.
85% Time Saved
Daily maintenance reduced from 105 minutes to 10 minutes.
60% Cost Reduction
Under $80 per unit, well below the $200 budget target.
100% Battery-Free
Eliminated all battery swaps with cable power.
50% Simpler Cable
Reduced from 2 cables to only 1 cable for patient environment
Showcase
Capstone Showcase
HIPAA regulations limited direct patient observation and identifiable data collection. We instead analyzed over 70,000 aggregated patient requests from Dispatch to identify usage patterns and prioritize design features.
Stakeholder Feedback
Benchmarking Healthcare Tablet Mounting Solutions
We reviewed four competing healthcare tablet systems and compared mounting, power, and security approaches. This analysis revealed a gap between affordable cable-based solutions and expensive integrated systems, creating a clear opportunity for our design.
Key Concerns
Infection Control
The woven texture may harbor bacteria and be difficult to disinfect thoroughly.
Arm Mount Tension
Will the joints maintain proper tension over time, or become too loose or too stiff?
Emergency Situation
The arm mount's bulk could obstruct quick access to patients during emergencies.
Postive Feedback
Handle Design
One-handed adjustment greatly improves accessibility for patients with limited mobility.
Cost Efficiency
$80 per unit is highly scalable compared to $600+ commercial alternatives.
Reflection
If time is allowed…
Run a 4-6 week pilot in an actual hospital unit
Build a modular system that works with both battery and cable power
Design a mount that works with different hospital furniture
Modify the system for critical situations
Key Learnings
This project went beyond typical digital design, requiring us to manage multiple stakeholders, healthcare constraints, and end-to-end delivery of a physical hardware system. Leading the process from research to prototype taught me how to navigate real-world project management and adapt under complex constraints.