Consumer-based approaches used in the development of an adaptive toileting system for children with positioning...

A research and development project was initiated to address concerns that existing commercial toileting systems are generally cumbersome to use, costly, and do not effectively support children in the best biomechanical and physiological position for independent toileting. Others have found that "homemade" adaptations are often necessary to improve the fit of these systems. To address these problems, a research and development project was initiated to develop a better toileting system. A multiphase research project involving a series of focus groups with parents, therapists, and other rehabilitation professionals (phase 1), classroom trials to evaluate a fitting prototype (phase 2), and home trials of a functional version (phase 3) was undertaken in the design of a better toileting system. Consumer feedback from these trials was used to develop a commercial version. This paper reviews each phase of the design process and discusses how consumer perspectives and clinical feedback were integrated into the design of the final product. In addition, features of the final product are described.