Hospital room of yesterday, today and tomorrow

Interesting video project at the University of Applied Sciences Münster

The view of care and health care in Germany is bright and dark at the same time: Hope for technical and medical progress is connected with the concern about the lack of nursing staff. Students of the School of Health of the Münster University of Applied Sciences have now dealt with the topic of "Technology in Health Care – yesterday, today, tomorrow" and created an online video exhibition. Not only do they address the question of the opportunities and risks of progress, they also look back. Was much better in the past? Or worse?

Some participants have previously visited and researched the Stiegelmeyer showroom in Herford. The presentation of our historic beds provides a good overview of the 20th century. For his video, student Tobias Becker has selected the "Kaiserbett" from 1910, which already combines many features of later modern hospital beds: Manufactured from hygienic metal, castors on the chassis, elastic mattress base. The ornate head and footboards in the style of the turn of the century could at the same time practically serve as coat hooks, as Mr. Becker explains.

However, this modest comfort was far from being reflected in patient accommodation. As the film shows at the example of the Schweinfurt Hospital from 1898, more than 20 beds were situated in large hospital rooms. There was no privacy among the densely packed rows. The working conditions of the nursing staff were also difficult. The view back offers no reason for nostalgic glorification.

In the videos about the present and the future, the Vertica clinic mobilisation bed by Stiegelmeyer appears several times, bringing patients an advantageous sitting and standing position at the touch of a button. Patient support, individual comfort – from a material perspective, students see the future positively. But at the same time, they strike skeptical tones when it comes to the human side of things. "Personal comfort instead of personal communication?", ask Lisa Döhn and Daniel Weskamp in their video "Patient Room Tomorrow" and continue: "Can you imagine being cared for by a robot?" Without people, care and empathy, there cannot be goo health care, so the thrust of the videos.

The exciting project is a contribution to the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the School of Health. It was supervised by Prof. Dr. med. Rüdiger Ostermann, Prof. dr. Anke Menzel-Begemann and Prof. Dr. med. Björn Sellemann.
Link (German only): www.fh-muenster.de/gesundheit/wir/jubilaeum/ausstellung.php