Ester Iacono

Nowadays, research and innovation in pediatrics represent both a challenge and a major opportunity for development. The emergence of new clinical issues, combined with scientific knowledge and multidisciplinary approaches, opens the way to innovative solutions aimed at improving pediatric care. Digital technologies play a particularly relevant role in this process, especially in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs), where the fragility of young patients requires increasingly advanced care tools. However, in pediatric settings, particularly in neonatology, healthcare errors can occur. Due to the complexity of treatments and the equipment required, children are exposed to risks three times higher than adults (Kaushal et al., 2001). A major source of errors is mechanical ventilation, which, although necessary, can lead to human errors and risks related to its use, including physiological complications. Moreover, usability and interface issues in medical devices can further increase the likelihood of errors, highlighting the need for the development of new solutions to improve neonatal care. The general objective of this study, conducted at the Meyer University Hospital (AOU Meyer) in Florence, was to enhance not only the well-being of the young patient but also the working conditions of medical and healthcare staff, facilitating interaction, simplifying necessary actions, and minimizing the risk of misuse of ventilators. Research outcomes were achieved through the application of usability and safety evaluation methods characteristic of Human-Centred Design (Tosi, 2020). These methods allowed for a focus on the needs of users interacting with medical devices and on the diverse competencies of professionals involved in designing and delivering services. Through field studies and consultations with experts and healthcare professionals—including direct observations, semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, scenarios, journey mapping, workflow analysis, and task analysis—it was possible to collect information on how current ventilators interface with users and the challenges they present. Despite meeting clinical needs, existing ventilators can generate difficulties related to assembly complexity, readability of digital interfaces, the presence of numerous devices during transport, and organization of care phases (Iacono et al., 2023). User analysis and the assessment of existing products/systems allowed the identification of potential scenarios and intervention solutions. This process led to the definition of the requirements for the concept Andy, a new ventilation system based on three core principles: the morphology and physical interface of the device, a user-friendly digital interface, and versatility and transportability. Andy, the next-generation ventilator, redefines ventilatory care dynamics, reducing risk factors and enabling continuous use without the need to disconnect the patient or replace the device when moving between settings (from ward to transport). The results demonstrated the potential and benefits of applying Ergonomics for Design and Human-Centred Design methodologies to healthcare solutions. Specifically, the proposed scenario positions the new ventilator as a solution to actions currently considered extremely risky for patients, reducing user errors caused by the use of multiple ventilators with different features and interfaces, and making the product versatile and easy to use both in the ward and during protected neonatal transport. Due to its remarkable innovativeness, Andy was awarded the prestigious iF DESIGN TALENT AWARD 2022.

Navigating within hospitals, especially paediatric ones, represents a complex challenge for patients and their families. This study explores the implementation of gamification in hospital wayfinding systems, aiming to enhance user experience and reduce the anxiety associated with moving through maze-like environments. Through research conducted at Meyer Children's Hospital in Florence, the Ergonomics & Design Laboratory team from the University of Florence developed “My Meyer”, a mobile app that integrates navigation, booking, and entertainment functions. The application offers an intuitive and customizable interface, with game modes for paediatric patients and optimized routes for parents. The results highlight the benefits of a human-centred approach, based on game design elements, to facilitate navigation and improve patients' physical and psychological well-being. Future developments suggest extending these solutions to the entire hospital structure, creating an inclusive and welcoming environment.

The contribution 'Design for Inclusion: Strategies and Design Experiments for Inclusive Museums' explores the role of design in museum accessibility and inclusion, focusing on strategies and design experiments aimed at removing physical and cognitive barriers. Through the 'XAll – A Whole Different Guide' project and the subsequent collaboration with the Museo di Palazzo Vecchio, innovative solutions are presented, such as multisensory stations, tactile tablets, and interactive digital technologies, to foster a visiting experience open to all. The essay highlights how inclusive design and Human-Centred Design can enhance the enjoyment of cultural heritage, making museums accessible, participatory, and stimulating spaces for diverse audiences.

Recent advances in EEG technology have addressed several critical challenges, focusing on the development of more sophisticated monitoring devices. Nevertheless, finding the right balance between comfort, aesthetics, recording efficiency, and adaptability to diverse contexts—such as home and pediatric environments—remains an ongoing challenge. Children, in particular, are known to be sensitive to uncomfortable or invasive devices. This article introduces new innovation scenarios in the field of neurophysiology, offering a novel perspective on EEG monitoring devices aimed at creating a more user-friendly and familiar system.

Equal access to culture and the opportunity to experience and learn about art in museums are rights that should be guaranteed to all. Enjoyment in museums is cha- racterized by interaction with different artifacts, including tablets and smartphones, and with different services/interfaces (e.g., applications, Augmented Reality, video- /audio guides, etc.). From an inclusion perspective, major operating systems provide for the integration of increasingly advanced Assistive Technologies by default. Howe- ver, audio guides, although a popular tool, make knowledge inaccessible to the deaf audience. The research presented aims to contribute to access to culture for all in the museum setting, through the analysis of critical issues and identification of the mar- gins of implementation of the artifacts with which visitors interact and through which the experience of the visit itself is defined.

The museum experience is characterized by interaction with many different artifacts, including tablets and smartphones, which support the visit by providing access to purpose-built audio guides, site-specific apps designed for the particular museum to visit, etc. They may integrate Augmented Reality (AR) or Virtual Reality (VR) to enrich the visit or otherwise provide for different levels of interaction with the aim of engaging (engagement) people. In terms of inclusivity, major operating systems include built-in Assistive Technologies by default, which are becoming increasingly advanced. In fact, Assistive Technologies now feature most smartphones and have also become pervasive due to the optimization of Vocal User Interfaces and Artificial Intelligence. In particular, in terms of pervasiveness, features such as IOS's "Accessibility settings" (Android also offers similar functionality) in recent years enhanced the modality of access and enjoyment of technology and actually enable millions of people to communicate and practice their right to autonomy as never before (these kinds of features required the installation of accessory plug-ins or the purchase of external peripherals until a few years ago). Audio-guides, although a popular tool, still make knowledge inaccessible to the deaf public. In fact, audio-guides, unlike video-guides, allow visitors only access to audio and exclude other forms of communication support such as text, graphics, route maps, and/or video. To overcome this issue and guarantee access to the widest possible number of people, many museums are adopting customized solutions for the specific category of disability. For example, they use LIS audio guide and video guide on their own tablet devices or provide for their integration within museum apps. This research aims to contribute to inclusive access to culture for all people in museums. This goal is being achieved through the analysis of critical issues and the identification of implementation opportunities for the artifacts with which visitors interact and through which the very experience of visiting is shaped.This paper presents a state-of-the-art study of the main artifacts that are part of the museum visit, with a focus on accessibility. The study includes museum Apps at international level, web accessibility plugins, and the different standard accessibility features offered by the main operating systems (iOS and Android). The results of the research show a lack of tools that provide museum accessibility in terms of full inclusion, i.e., taking into account several disabilities at the same time, including long-term physical, mental, cognitive or sensory impairments, which are often unseen. In fact, apps and artifacts for museum tours have a tendency to divide functions according to disability category (focusing, for example, only on the deaf or only on the blind), thus accentuating the stigmatizing and divisive effect. Moreover, the research highlights that only a few virtuous examples, among those selected, succeed in offering a museum experience according to an inclusive approach, despite the integration of technologies and the support of applications and websites.Lastly, the purpose of this paper is to stimulate a reflection on the topic of accessibility in terms of both technology and design, in order to go beyond mere conformity to standards rather to integrate it with the many qualitative and quantitative tools offered by research in design, so as to disseminate devices and artifacts that make culture fully accessible in the museum setting.

This paper presents a part of the project “XAll - Tutta un’altra guida” (XAll - A whole other guide), funded by the TIM Foundation, which partners the University of Florence, the Polytechnic University of Milan, and the referents of 3 Florentine museums: Museo di Palazzo Vecchio, Museo Bardini and Museo Bargello. The overall objective of the project is to create an interactive, customizable and inclusive visit support, aimed at the overall population and designed to encourage a multisensory visit experience, rea- lized by inserting tactile, sound and olfactory stimuli in the visit path of the 3 Museums involved and enhanced by the use of augmented reality. Specific objectives of the pro- ject are: to make cultural heritage accessible to visitors with all types of disability; to improve the quality of independent visitation in terms of engagement and customiza- tion of the experience; to encourage the dissemination of free applications in museum accessibility projects; and to provide an integrated framework and a set of open source tools for the development of applications in the same area.

The theme of inclusion is one of the key elements of the vision and mission of contemporary museums. The overall aim of this work is to develop and test a scientific and operational process for inclusive design within the context of free access to cultural heritage. This paper presents a critical analysis of the methodological approach and results of the research project “XAll – A Whole New Guide”, funded by the TIM Foundation, in partnership with the University of Florence, the Polytechnic University of Milan and three Florentine museums: the Palazzo Vecchio Museum, the Bardini Museum and the Bargello Museum. The project involved the creation of an interactive, customisable visitor guide integrated into the physical context of the visitor route.

It is well known to anyone who has had a direct or indirect hospital experience how the sterile and aseptic healthcare system often generates negative emotions such as anxiety, frustration, and pain. It is usually due to the exclusively functional aspect of medical equipment (MRI scans, ventilators, ultrasounds, etc.), which induces fear and perception of threat, neglecting the importance of formal and emotional aspects within the healthcare environment. In the last decade, the intervention of Design on hospital aesthetics, products, communication, and services has allowed a partial reduction of stress and anxiety levels, improving patient satisfaction and guaranteeing, at the same time, health and healing. However, the contribution of Design becomes even more decisive when it comes to pediatric patients, who need a hospital system that considers their needs, feelings and opinions. Therefore, the vision of the patient as a person with psycho-emotional and relational, as well as physical and functional requirements, led the designers to design equipment and spaces with a pleasant and familiar appearance, which would favour the reduction of the trauma of hospitalisation and negative emotions experienced by young patients. Although some design interventions present in the literature demonstrate great sensitivity towards the world of children, the contribution of Design in the hospital setting is still minimal. Based on the scientific contributions provided by various disciplines such as Affective sciences, Social and Cognitive Neurosciences, Cognitive Psychology and Design, this research addresses the issue of children's affectivity in the evaluation and Design of positive user experiences. It questions the possible areas of implementation and the evaluation strategies and tools of Human-Centered Design (HCD), User Experience (UX), Affective Evaluation Methods (AEM) of Psychology, Affective Sciences, and Cognitive Ergonomics that allow the measurement of emotions. Specifically, the study aims to understand the following:- how it is possible to evaluate the emotional impact generated by the health system on the child;- the emotional response of children in interaction with the health product-service system. In particular, the study's main focus was analysing the emotional impact generated by the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination before and after the examination simulation procedure with the Philips Kitten Scanner to understand the actual contribution.This research presents the results of a survey conducted within the diagnostic imaging department of the Meyer University Hospital in collaboration with the NOS ERGOMeyer group and the Ergonomics & Design laboratory of the University of Florence. The methodological approach of the research was quantitative and envisaged the application of Ergonomics for Design and Human-Centered Design methods. Specifically, the single-centre observational survey was conducted by structured interviews and questionnaires addressed to healthcare personnel and psychologists who work with children, especially in the hospital setting. From the survey, it was possible to grasp and define: the main behaviours and emotional factors linked to the hospital world, the primary emotional difficulties of the child linked both to the disease, but also to the context of care, the negative impact of medical instruments/equipment, the benefits and the criticalities related to the preparation of the MRI exam, but above all the importance of the game in minimising the negative emotions associated with medical procedures and the hospital system. Therefore, the survey highlighted many possibilities for implementing and developing design solutions to improve the young patient's emotional experience.

Nowadays, research and innovation in the pediatric field represent both a challenge and a great development opportunity. The emergence of clinical problems and the convergence of scientific knowledge and multidisciplinary approaches allows us to offer innovative solutions to improve pediatric care. In particular, the new digital technologies represent an important factor of innovation in the field of health care and, above all, in delicate and complex contexts such as Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU), where due to the vulnerability of young patients it is necessary to use of ever more straightforward and more efficient care tools.However, in the pediatric field and, above all, in Neonatology, cases of errors in healthcare are increasingly frequent; it is estimated that a child is three times more exposed than an adult to potentially harmful situations of Medication Error because the level of assistance required is higher and the equipment required is more complex. In particular, one of the most common causes of access to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is the respiratory difficulty which requires specific mechanical ventilation treatment, which can involve human errors and risks related to its use with possible physiological complications.Sometimes, human error can be attributed to the excessive complexity of using the products/services or the need for more materials suitable for the personnel needs. In the neonatal field, there are frequent problems related to usability, ergonomic characteristics, software and hardware interfaces, the human factor, and the context and methods of use of medical devices that lead to errors.The general objective of this study, conducted at the Meyer Children's Hospital in Florence, was to improve not only the condition of the well-being of the young patient but also the working conditions of the medical and healthcare staff, promoting interaction, simplifying the actions and minimizing the possibility of error in use.This paper reports the main results of the research achieved thanks to the application of the evaluation methods of usability and safety of use typical of Human-Centered Design. These have made it possible to pay attention to the needs of users who interact with the medical system (patients, health professionals) and the different skills of the professionals involved in designing and providing services.Through field surveys and discussions with experts and healthcare professionals (user observation, semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, etc.) conducted at Meyer Children's Hospital in Florence, it was possible to collect data on current critical issues. In particular, the survey made it possible to understand how the user interacts with existing fans and how much these can lead to problems regarding the complexity of assembly, the difficulty of reading the physical and digital interface, the presence of numerous instruments during transport and the issues relating to the organization of the treatment phases.The analysis of the user and the evaluation of the criticality of the existing products/systems have therefore allowed the identification of possible scenarios and intervention solutions, defining the requirements of the new ventilation system. From the results obtained, it was possible to configure new solutions, which gave rise to the design of a new generation lung ventilator for NICU to improve ventilation assistance operations, reduce user errors and make the product versatile and easy to use both in the ward and during neonatal protected transport.