Publications

Home care aims to reduce hospitalisation rates while ensuring the best possible quality of life for patients. However, before the COVID-19 pandemic, home care services were still fairly limited in Italy. The COVID-19 health emergency highlighted the shortcomings of the National Health System, accelerating the adoption of alternative care models. In response to the increase in hospitalisations, the Rapid Intervention Group for Hospitals and Local Areas (GIROT) was created, which operates in the home using diagnostic technologies equivalent to those used in hospitals. The research focused on the experimental development of the current GIROT service at the Careggi University Hospital in Florence, defining a new home care system focused on user experience and interaction between patients, caregivers and healthcare personnel. The methodology followed the scientific and methodological approach of Human-Centred Design, selecting methods to investigate the needs and frustrations of the people involved. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with healthcare personnel and caregivers, and a co-design workshop was held with GIROT doctors from Careggi. The data collected was systematised using tools such as systemic mapping, personas and user journeys. The analysis highlighted some critical issues in the communication channels, which are fragmented and poorly structured, negatively affecting both the quality of healthcare professionals' work and the autonomy and awareness of patients and carers. The research confirmed the need to implement a new telemedicine service, integrating a digital platform for care management that aims to improve the overall experience, facilitating patient on-boar- ding and off-boarding and supporting the work of the healthcare team.

Recent advances in EEG technology have addressed some crucial challenges, focusing on developing more advanced monitoring devices. However, finding a balance between comfort, aesthetics, recording efficiency and adaptability to different contexts, such as home and paediatric settings, remains an open challenge. It is known that children can be sensitive to uncomfortable or invasive devices; therefore, the article examines innovation scenarios in paediatric neuro- physiology. The research at Meyer Children’s Hospital in Florence proposes an entirely new vision of the EEG monitoring device to ensure a more user-friendly and familiar system for children. Thanks to the application of Human-Centred Design and User Experience methodologies, it was possible to analyse the cur- rent critical issues and define the requirements of Cosmos+. This new system was developed to improve the experience of young patients, reduce discomfort and promote personalised monitoring even at home, representing a new frontier in paediatric neurophysiology.

This study aims to investigate the use of modern health technologies (personal computers, tablets, smartwatches, smart TVs, digital assistants, Artificial intelligence, Apps for wellness, nutrition and sport, smart clothing, subcutaneous devices, glucometer, pulse oximeter, ECG and spirometer), which can be used even without specific medical knowledge, by Italian citizens, the promotion and monitoring of health and wellness. The national study required the submission of a questionnaire, disseminated online using the Google Forms platform. 209 Italian citizens participated in the study, of whom only 190 were eligible, considering the inclusion criteria of the research programme. Based on the Active Ageing Index (AAI) programmed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the study involved people aged 55 and over. The results that emerged will be discussed in the article and will enable the research team to plan and draft the project matrix guidelines as envisaged by the research programme “Age-It Ageing well in ageing society” (Spoke 9, Work Package 1, Task 1.1), an extended partner-ship funded within the framework of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, whose objective is the study of advanced gerontechnologies for active and healthy ageing with low TRL.

The research project presented in the article aims to provide an analytical overview of academic publications in the ICAR/13 field, using a data-driven methodology to analyse over 5,000 articles published in more than 850 journals from 1980 to the present day. The objective is to identify the main thematic areas of design research and trace their evolution over time, with a particular focus on gaps and future opportunities. The analysis reveals the importance of journal publications as a primary source for the dissemination of academic research and as a fundamental resource for the development of new trends. The theme of sources and resources emerges in two aspects: on the one hand, publications serve as essential resources for the supply of knowledge; on the other, they constitute the very product of research, representing the point of convergence between the production of new knowledge and its dissemination. The study concludes with a proposal for new strategies to improve the accessibility and visibility of academic publications in the field of design.

Wearable exoskeletons hold promise for reducing the physical strain of healthcare workers, yet their emotional and experiential impact remains underexplored. This study, part of the Exo.Care program, investigated healthcare workers’ emotional responses and user experience during a 30-day trial of a passive exoskeleton in residential and home-care settings. Using the Geneva Emotion Wheel (GEW) and the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ), results showed that initial interactions elicited predominantly positive emotions, such as interest and admiration, reflecting the novelty effect. After prolonged use, positive emotional intensity decreased, while fear and disappointment emerged, highlighting gaps between expectations and actual performance. UEQ results revealed usability challenges in efficiency, dependability, and stimulation, though novelty and attractiveness were positively rated. Findings underscore the importance of integrating emotional and ergonomic factors in exoskeleton design to enhance acceptability, facilitate adoption, and ensure these devices can be effectively incorporated into healthcare workflows.

Hospital communication and wayfinding are crucial challenges, especially in paediatric contexts where orienting oneself in space and managing emotions is particularly difficult. The complexity of hospital environments and the ineffectiveness of orientation systems can cause cognitive stress and difficulties understanding, negatively influencing healthcare quality and operational efficiency. An effective wayfinding system must communicate clear messages, making the hospital space interpretable and familiar, using scientific approaches integrated into the architecture. Technologies such as mobile apps can improve orientation and personalize assistance, but a thorough evaluation of the usability and effectiveness of these systems is necessary. This article addresses the challenges of hospital-paediatric wayfinding by presenting a new mobile app that combines navigation, booking and entertainment. The study, conducted at the Meyer Children’s Hospital in Florence, made it possible to define the requirements of a new orientation system for the medical day hospital, improving autonomous orientation and optimizing the user experience. The proposed solution developed thanks to the application of the Human-Centred Design and User Experience approach, aims to reduce stress and improve hospital efficiency, transforming the wayfinding experience into an interactive and engaging process for paediatric patients and their parents.