The Philips Ambient Experience for Healthcare (AEH) Case Study

Key Insight

Philips Design aimed to innovate healthcare imaging (CT, MRI), traditionally focused on scanning performance for fast, accurate diagnosis. The prevailing assumption was that a precise diagnosis was paramount, with the examination process itself considered secondary. However, examinations could be highly stressful, especially for children who often required sedation.

The design team developed a breakthrough vision: to prioritize the emotional well-being of both patients and radiologists. They hypothesized that reducing stress would lead to better patient healing, increased radiologist concentration and satisfaction, more accurate images, and smoother procedures, thus elevating the importance of *how* the examination was conducted. A pivotal moment was a visit to Dr. Kenneth Gorfinkle, a clinical psychologist and coordinator of psychological services in pediatric oncology. He highlighted that the sedation injection, often given in a confined, claustrophobic space, was the most frightening part of the experience for children, even years later.

Dr. Gorfinkle advocated for relaxing preparation rooms and different post-procedure rooms to prevent children from retaining negative last memories of the injection space. This confirmed the team's focus on emotional well-being but expanded the 'examination experience' to encompass what happened before and after the scanning room. The resulting Ambient Experience for Healthcare (AEH) incorporated these insights: children entering the hospital choose an RFID-equipped puppet, activating video animations (e.g., nature scenes) along corridors, creating a friendly, mood-tuning environment. This solution was well-received by customers.