Workstation-on-wheels (WOW) are designed to improve workplace ergonomics and consequently facilitate a more productive hospital environment.
A well-designed WOW is safer and easier to use than stationary work areas, helping medical personnel perform their tasks more effectively, reducing the risk of work injuries, and allowing them to spend more time with patients.
Find out which essential features a quality mobile workstation should possess and learn how to adjust and customize one to maximize efficiency.
Height-Adjustable Features
The need for adjustable ergonomics on healthcare computer workstations is well-known and the subject of many studies. Research suggests that workstations-on-wheels featuring well-designed ergonomic features are easier and safer to use and handle for all personnel, significantly reducing the risk of muscular and musculoskeletal pain and increasing work efficiency.
One of the most critical features is height adjustment, allowing a nurse to set the keyboard and monitor to the most comfortable position.
Although WOWs are primarily intended for use while standing, a comfortable working posture is critical for caregiver health, equivalent to desk height recommendations on standard computer workstations.
All Scott-Clark Medical mobile carts are fully height-adjustable, allowing you to bring the monitor screen at eye level, preventing eye strain and reducing the need to hunch over or adopt uncomfortable positions.
High-Maneuverability Casters
Although often overlooked, the importance of robust, highly-maneuverable casters cannot be overstated.
Scott-Clark Medical mobile workstations feature 5” wide casters mounted on four-point wheelbases, making them easy to move in any needed direction. When a staff member needs the cart to remain in place, they can engage the lockable brakes, preventing it from accidentally moving or rolling away.
Additionally, the casters’ conductive properties prevent harmful static electricity from disrupting or damaging mounted electronics by redirecting built-up static back into the floor.
Customizable Trays
Scott-Clark Medical rolling computer carts feature a set of adjustable and removable trays: A laptop tray for the workstation, an adjustable keyboard tray, and a side mouse tray.
Our standard laptop tray supports devices with a monitor size of up to 17”, making it compatible with most laptops available on the market today.
Many healthcare workers prefer using a full-size keyboard (with a numeric keypad) and a dedicated mouse instead of the laptop’s integrated input devices.
For this reason, the keyboard and mouse trays are both adjustable and removable, featuring enough space to rest your hands and wrists and allowing you to adjust your mobile workstations according to your specifications.
All our laptop trays feature integrated handles at multiple points, providing a natural and ergonomic gripping point.
Modular Storage Solutions
Modularity is a critical yet understated contributor to ergonomics. Flexible work equipment helps maintain efficiency and keeps your personnel working in optimal conditions.
Our mobile computer stations feature storage bins for ancillary equipment, such as personal protective equipment, including gloves, face masks, sanitation equipment, printer paper, and other items.
You can also order customized storage solutions, such as mounting points for barcode scanners or wristband printers, document holders, lockable medical drawers with mechanical or biometric locks, sharps disposal bins, and a wide array of other options.
Balanced Weight
Scott-Clark Medical mobile computer carts employ a mixture of stainless steel and aluminum parts, providing a robust yet lightweight construction designed to last for several years of daily hard use.
Our mobile carts are compatible with one of two bases: the Lite Base and the Large Base.
The Lite Base is a standard wheeled base intended for lightweight applications. Our Large Base is the heavier-duty model with integrated FMCPT battery technology.
Both bases support our central column models; three hydraulic models and one electric motor model. The hydraulic columns come in three variants, capable of respectively supporting up to 22, 33, or 44 lbs. of equipment.
For heavy applications, such as setups featuring multiple computer screens, the electric motor column supports as much as 157 lbs. and features electric height adjustment.
You may be wondering how these specifications relate to ergonomics. The answer is simple: They provide a counterweight to the laptop, tray, and equipment on top, lowering the center of gravity and making even the heaviest mobile carts easy to push and move from room to room.
User-Friendly Power System
Our patented FMCPT power system technology is at the heart of our cart modules.
With our power system, gone are the days of making calls to the IT department for dead batteries, wasting precious time performing non-medical or caregiving activities due to an unreliable power system.
All Scott-Clark Medical mobile computer carts are compatible with our state-of-the-art URB0012 FMCPT battery packs.
Using Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) battery chemistry, each battery pack features a total capacity of 330 Wh, providing uninterrupted power for 6-10 hours and recharging from empty in just 2-3 hours.
Customers may select between single-battery and dual-battery power systems. The single-battery system is ideal for lightweight carts which do not need to power many devices.
In contrast, the dual-battery system is the most flexible and convenient, offering long-lasting, round-the-clock power and the option to hot-swap partially charged or depleted batteries.
With carefully planned power management, it is possible to keep every connected device continuously powered; simply swap low-charge batteries for fully-charged ones, one at a time.
The integrated handle makes battery replacement and manipulation easy and convenient — no need to burn your fingertips touching excessively hot lithium-ion batteries anymore.
Coupled with our easy-to-read State of Charge Indicators (SOCI II), your personnel can tell at a glance how much power remains on their carts. The SOCI II screen displays large, easily readable numbers and color graphics, estimating remaining power using the hours-and-minutes format instead of vague percentage values.
These valuable features take the guesswork out of power management, saving precious time and keeping your personnel focused on their tasks.
Use Ergonomic Workstations to Improve Staff Wellbeing and Productivity
Technological advancements are only as helpful as their user-friendliness. It doesn’t matter how revolutionary a new piece of equipment is if using it is more challenging than staying with older tools.
At Scott-Clark Medical, we understand the importance of ergonomics and flexibility. Once you’ve become familiar with every feature our mobile computer carts and power system have to offer, you won’t want to go back to previous solutions and equipment.
Our mobile carts are fully customizable and adaptable for all your needs, featuring everything your personnel needs to move and adjust them. The combination of FMCPT and SOCI II technologies turns power management into a simple, user-friendly task, requiring no intervention from IT technicians.
Contact us at (512) 756-7300 for any questions or requests regarding our mobile workstations or any of our other products. We are happy to assist you and help you find the right solutions for your applications.