Hospitals across the globe are searching for ways to become more efficient with internal operations and effective with patient care. The investment into Medical Cart Computers or Computers on Wheels saves hospitals thousands with a technology upgrade for the hospital that improves patient care and internal operational efficiencies. Medical Cart Computers provide mobility and portability to be able to move from room to room with ease. Find out here for more on improved medical equipment.
Amphia, a hospital in the Netherlands deployed our medical cart computers in their hospital, integrating new Electronic Medical Record software for better patient care. Mounting the all-in-one computer onto a cart provides mobility in the room when healthcare professionals are treating patients and moving between rooms. Vitals can be taken by rolling the cart around to the best location in the room to process the information. This improves the patient experience and reduces the time it takes to document the information.
Outdated procedures such as taking patient information on paper with clipboards is inefficient and can lead to human error. Fixed computers mounted in each room are costly and technical issues mean that room does not have a computer. Medical Cart Computers allow the data to be received, documented, and accessed in real-time by any staff member with network access from almost any location. This means that one person can be in the room documenting the information, while another is reviewing the information in a different location within or outside of the medical facility.
3 Benefits of Medical Cart Computers in Healthcare Facilities:
Less Downtime
Hot-swappable batteries eliminate the downtime between charging during or between shifts. When a battery needs to be changed, hot-swappable batteries can be changed out during the middle of the shift without needing to power down as the battery is being changed. The computer can run for up to 15 minutes while the batteries are being swapped out. Multiple batteries can be charged at once on a charger and switched out when needed by taking the battery to the room and not having to remove the computer from the room. There is also no risk of losing patient data during the swap.
Mobile Data Retrieval
Medical cart computers improve the process of collecting patient data from anywhere in the facility or even outside thus improving patient care. Healthcare professionals can easily take vitals, draw blood, or collect needed information while inputting it directly into the computer whether the patient is lying in a bed or sitting in a surgery prep room or in an outdoor clinic. This mobility means healthcare professionals do not have to be tied to a workstation and patients dont have to remain in one spot to be served. The data is directly recorded into the computer in real-time so there is no need to document the data and input it into the system at a later time. This improves efficiency for healthcare staff and reduces the risk of human error. Medical cart computers also improve patient confidentiality with built-in CAC readers and locked screens so only people with specific clearance can access to the network and retrieve patient information.
Cost Savings
Medical cart computers save the hospital thousands per year by improving staff efficiencies thus saving in money on time spent relaying information from paper to network, giving staff more time to spend on better patient care. Medical cart computers also eliminate the need for costly, heavy cart batteries that require charging while making the entire system unusable for a long time. Medical cart computers are built with durability in mind needing less maintenance over the years. They are built for harsh environments, to withstand vibration, and are resistant to water so if a spill occurs, they will not be damaged and patient information can still be retrieved. Medical cart computers are built to be more durable than other computers or tablets requiring less maintenance and reducing the workload for IT departments, thus saving costs in replacing devices and support tickets.
Medical cart computers enable better ergonomics for healthcare professionals by allowing them to stand or sit to use the device. Medical cart computers improve patient care and operational efficiency, thus saving the hospital in both time and money yearly on the investment.