When you have reliable equipment and a set of processes for your medical facility, it can be easy to continue with these familiar rules, potentially missing the opportunity to improve efficiency or standards of patient care.
However, with the advances in technology, it’s possible to integrate modern equipment seamlessly into your workflow, enabling physicians, nurses, and other medical staff to improve their work and ultimately benefit their patients.
Healthcare facilities worldwide utilize mobile medical carts as they help medical professionals become more efficient, provide more accurate and up-to-date records, and respond to patients as quickly as possible in the event of an emergency. Due to their versatility, you can benefit from using mobile carts in virtually any medical setting.
Use a Mobile Computing Cart to Update Patient Files
One of the problems that arise when using paper files is that there is a two-step process to add medical staff’s notes onto the computer system. After a physician has made their manual notes at the point of care, an administrative colleague then types the data into the central computer system.
Unfortunately, as hospitals are busy settings, this could be days later. In the meantime, any other medical staff involved in the patient’s treatment plan will have to laboriously read through the initial consultant’s handwritten notes. In an emergency, they could misread unclear writing.
Furthermore, if there are test results or scans that a member of staff has in their possession, but has not yet added the data to the file, physicians could make a crucial decision based on incomplete records.
When a physician takes a mobile computing cart onto the ward, they can be confident they have the most complete and up-to-date patient records. Medical staff can add their notes onto the laptop at the point of care, instantly updating the central computer records so the notes are now visible for all authorized employees.
Rather than paper files moving between departments, each section of the hospital adds notes and images to their mobile cart computer, providing vital information in real-time so that physicians can make immediate clinical decisions.
Use a Mobile Medication Cart to Avoid Retrieving Medicines from the Pharmacy
Medical professionals must keep medications safe and secure when on the ward. Any unattended medications that are easy to access could be accidentally ingested or even obtained by those who are vulnerable due to substance addictions.
The traditionally secure method of locating all pharmaceuticals in a centrally located pharmacy is effective for safety but is also inefficient because physicians spend less time on patient interaction.
Medication carts come with biometric locking drawers, and only authorized personnel can gain access. Using a smart proximity scanning system, the drawers recognize permissions which the hospital has encoded on to a key card.
When the employee is close to the cart, and then attempts to gain access, the drawers will open. Before the physician removes any medicines, they use a barcode scanner to record that they have taken an item.
This intuitive system automatically updates the patient’s file, adding the name of the prescribing physician, the name and dosage of the prescribed medication, and the date and time of the transaction.
There is now a full and transparent record of precisely what happened, which immediately appears on the central computer system.
Use an Ergonomic Mobile Computing Cart to Reduce Workplace Injuries
Medical staff spend considerable time standing, walking, and bending when at the point of care. During a long shift, this can cause discomfort, and over an extended period, it could contribute to workplace injury and time off on sick leave.
Mobile medical carts have smooth casters that allow employees to move the cart alongside them when moving from patient to patient. At the bedside, they can use the height-adjustment facility to move the laptop height to their preferred elevation. They can type up their notes without having to bend or lean on a patient’s bedside table while writing. This function also allows staff to show patients the laptop screen to gain a better understanding of their condition and options without the need for prolonged standing.
Use a Specialized Mobile Cart to Improve Response Times
A vital aspect of a mobile cart is its versatility. You can accessorize your cart with a multitude of medical devices that meet the needs of a variety of different medical wards. When emergencies occur, staff do not need to retrieve the required equipment from various locations, as everything is already on the cart and ready for use.
When response times can affect patient outcomes, this is a crucial advantage. Physicians can collect the cart they have located at the end of their ward and move to the patient’s bedside in seconds.
Knowing the devices they need are on the cart, they can quickly begin treatment. When emergencies are a daily occurrence in your ward, this could be a crucial benefit for the standard of patient care.
Last Word
Medical facilities provide excellent high-quality care for their patients. However, there are always ways to improve, and many medical professionals find that mobile medical carts help them to achieve better results for their patients.
As industry-leaders in the provision of mobile medical carts, Scott Clark Medical can provide impartial advice to help you choose your cart. Call us on (512)-756-7300 for a free consultation and quote.