Hiding the catheter

Year Submitted: 2025
Published Date: 12 February 2026

Tags: Care Process ＆ Redesign, Quality Improvement, Design Thinking, Product Development, Product Evaluation, Applied/Translational Research

About this Content

Aims

Create a concept for design to hold and hide Indwelling Catheter (IDC) for community dwelling patients

Background

There is increasing numbers of patients who are discharge from hospital to home with indwelling catheters (IDCs). Designing adaptive pants that securely hold and discreetly conceal the IDC can enhance their dignity and self-esteem and encourage them to continue to engage in activities of daily living (ADLs) in the community to prevent social alienation.

Methods

The UK Design Councils Double Diamond Framework for Innovation guided the prototyping process. In the Discover and Define phases, we identified gaps in current solutions and key user priorities. The Develop and Deliver phases involved brainstorming, prototyping, and gathering user feedback to validate the concept. A descriptive method was used for demographic data, with mean or median values presented for quantitative analysis.

Results

In the Discover and Define phases, 15 community-dwelling clients (median age: 51 years) participated in a pre-design survey. Of these, 42.9% were wheelchair users, while 57.1% were ambulatory with or without aid. Preferences for adaptive clothing included long pants (50%) and shorts (60%). During the Develop and Deliver phases, 10 clients (median age: 53.5 years) participated in the user survey, with 50% being wheelchair users. Overall satisfaction with the adaptive pants prototype was rated 3.2 on a 5-point Likert scale.

Conclusion

The design-thinking framework provided a structured approach to developing adaptive pants based on client needs, promoting their well-being and confidence in community settings.

Lessons Learnt

The UK Design Council's Double Diamond Framework was effective in providing a systematic approach that ensured the solution was built on actual user needs rather than assumptions. This structured methodology helped the team move from problem identification through to prototype validation.

The project demonstrated the importance of engaging users at multiple stages - from initial needs assessment to prototype testing. This continuous user involvement helped validate concepts and gather essential feedback for refinement.
With participants split between wheelchair users and ambulatory individuals, the team learnt that adaptive clothing must accommodate different mobility levels, habits and preferences. The varied preferences for long pants versus shorts also highlighted the need for multiple design options.
Given that the overall satisfaction rating of 3.2 out of 5 on the Likert scale suggests that initial prototypes are starting points for improvement rather than final solutions.

The focus on dignity, self-esteem, and community participation highlights that the importance of psychosocial aspect such as quality of life and social wellbeing in management of urinary incontinence.
The involvement of occupational therapists, rehabilitation specialists, and urology nurses demonstrated that complex healthcare challenges benefit from diverse professional perspectives, each contributing unique insights to create solutions that are more comprehensive.

Additional Information

This research is funded by the Tan Tock Seng Hospital Community Fund. The research findings were presented at the National Occupational Therapy Conference on 26 July 2025

Keywords

Occupational Therapy, Nursing, Healthcare Innovation, Urinary Incontinence, Adaptive Clothing

Innovators' Details

Connect with this contributor!

Low Xin Ying - xin.ying.low@nhghealth.com.sg

Project Attachment

Hiding The Catheter.pdf