Setting the Standard:
New Procedure Chair Redefines Patient Accessibility

May 6, 2025

Designing for accessibility in ambulatory care environments is crucial for ensuring all patients, regardless of their physical, cognitive or sensory abilities, can access and receive appropriate care. It helps break down barriers and fosters an inclusive environment where every individual, including patients and care teams, can engage in enhancing health and well-being.

Traditionally, much of the focus around ensuring accessibility to care has been on the entire ambulatory care facility as a whole. Many of the concepts and components of accessibility are best practices in building design and construction projects across industries. These can include accessible parking, ramps and spacious hallways and waiting areas free of clutter.

More recently, there has been a growing focus on ensuring accessibility in exam and procedure rooms; especially since these areas are where the majority of the patient-caregiver interaction occurs. Healthcare systems realize there are numerous benefits that can be gained with a focus on greater accessibility at the point of care.

• Compliance.
  Since the inception of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), accessibility has become a legal requirement. The ADA prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including healthcare facilities and medical equipment.
• Safety + Ergonomics.
  A point of care designed with a focus on safety and ergonomic principles can have a positive impact on the well-being of healthcare workers, as well as productivity and efficiency levels.
• Workflow Efficiency.
  Designing for accessibility helps prevent potential overexertion or injury among staff who assist patients with limited mobility, allowing them to work more efficiently with less downtime.
• Patient Experience.
  For a patient population that is becoming older and dealing with more medical conditions, a visit to the doctor’s office can be very stressful and receiving adequate care can be challenging due to accessibility issues.

Redefining Patient Accessibility

There are a variety of components in exam and procedure rooms that can help increase accessibility. One of the most important is the examination/procedure chair as it is the place where caregivers truly deliver care—it touches nearly every patient.

In September 2024, the US Access Board (USAB) released a new standard providing design criteria for examination and procedure chairs, as well as weight scales and other diagnostic equipment, to ensure accessibility for people with disabilities. The key ruling states examination and procedure chairs should have a low-seat-height of 17 inches or lower, with a high-seat-height of 25 inches or higher while also providing for additional transfer positions located between the low and high transfer positions.

The seated transfer surface should be at minimum 21 inches wide and 17 inches deep with compliant transfer supports that support entry, exit and repositioning from either side of the chair. The width of the chair base should be no more than 26 inches wide, and where stirrups are provided, leg supports that provide a method of supporting, positioning and securing the patient's legs should also be provided.

The new standard is not currently enforced by the US Department of Justice (DOJ); however, the DOJ has stated its intention to consider issuing a supplemental rulemaking proposing to adopt the new 17-inch low-seat-height requirement.

Setting a New Standard

The recently introduced Midmark® 631 Procedure Chair is the first and only USAB compliant procedure chair. It features a USAB compliant 17-inch low-seat-height (while maintaining a 39-inch high-seat-height), 28- or 32-inch-wide transfer surface and ample base clearance that is compatible with patient lifts and helps ensure safe patient transfer with no interference.

Additionally, the 631features optional USAB-compliant Patient Support Rails or Patient Support Rails+ and Articulating Knee Crutches for necessary support before, during and after a procedure.

Not only does the 631 procedure chair meet patient accessibility needs, Midmark also considered caregiver ergonomics in its design. No matter the type of procedure, proper positioning is necessary for unobstructed access to the patient and a clear view of the procedure site. Caregiver ergonomics and precise positioning come standard with the 631, designed with 22 inches of height adjustability and 8-way powered positioning, allowing caregivers to effortlessly move patients into the most effective working positions whether seated or standing.

The accessibility features offered by the Midmark 631 increases the patient’s comfort, protects their dignity and helps physicians conduct more thorough and accurate procedures.

It is worth noting that with the Midmark 631 Procedure Chair and the Midmark 626 Barrier-Free® Examination Chair, which reaches a low height of 15 ½ inches, Midmark is the first and only manufacturer in the market to have both a procedure and examination chair that complies with the USAB standard.

Click here to learn more about the USAB standards and how Midmark is redefining patient accessibility.