Mobile workstations are increasing in popularity throughout a range of working environments. Although many commercial environments, such as warehouse distribution centers, have been quick to adopt them into their working processes, they are now a recognizable sight in many medical settings.
Renowned for their ability to help increase productivity by saving medical staff valuable time, mobile-powered carts can also reduce costs and minimize administrative mistakes, which employees need to correct later.
As trained staff become more familiar with mobile-powered computer workstations, they can improve patients’ experience when in their care. Ultimately, savings in time, costs, and improvements in physician/patient interactions benefit the medical system.
Reduce Transit Time
While the sight of medical staff rushing from one location to another, stopping to collect prescriptions from the pharmacy, dropping notes off with a colleague, and collecting recently available patient notes may give the appearance of efficiency, this is far from the truth.
Physicians and nurses need to spend as much time as possible treating their patients. Any unnecessary time spent in transit is inefficient and contributes to increased costs for the medical facility.
Mobile workstations enable medical staff to take all the devices and information they need for ward rounds. Rather than stopping at a nurse’s station to collect a patient’s medical file, they already have it on the mobile computer, which is on a medical cart.
Physicians prescribe medications regularly throughout their shift, and obtaining medicines from a pharmacy takes more time, which they could be spending treating their patients. Medical staff can accessorize their carts with a range of features that enable them to improve productivity.
By adding devices that can monitor vital signs, the physicians can quickly decide if their patients require specific medications to treat their conditions. Should this be the case, they can access secure biometrically locked drawers, which house medicines and other sensitive materials such as sharps.
The physician doesn’t need to call for colleagues to bring them equipment or get potentially life-saving medication – they are already on the cart, especially useful in emergencies.
When they are removing mediation, they can utilize bar code scanners to record the transaction. They can also use label printing accessories so the patient receives medication in precisely the same format as they would expect if it came from the pharmacy.
This system helps medical professionals save time, but it also means they don’t need to pull colleagues away from treating their patients, which would also be a drain on crucial face-to-face treatment time.
Information in Real-Time
Aside from saving time as the physician has all the relevant information at the point of care, they can also see the most up-to-date information in real-time. Hospital treatment plans rely on a range of specialist medical professionals combining their expertise to find the most suitable way forward for their patients.
It is common for different specialists to have their department where they work; they need to pass their information from one location to another. Should they enter their data to paper files, the administrative department needs to add these notes to the central computerized system before they are visible to colleagues.
By using a mobile medical cart, physicians can add their notes directly onto this central system, and it is instantly available to their colleagues.
This ability could be crucial when deciding on an appropriate treatment plan, or even in the event of an emergency, when it is vital, the attending physician has the most recent data before choosing the safest and most effective way to help their patient.
Long-Life Battery Systems
A mobile cart is only useful for as long as it is in operation. Older power systems may require you to plug them into a wall socket, effectively rendering them useless while waiting for them to charge. Scott-Clark Medical’s Flexible Mobile Cart Power Technology (FMCPT) and a user-friendly hot-swappable battery system enable medical staff to use their cart throughout their shift continuously.
Capable of working for 6-10 hours depending on use, they utilize the latest battery technology, increasing working time and extending battery life. The LIFEP04 batteries charge on the mobile cart, even while another one is powering the unit.
These advanced batteries only take approximately 2.5 hours to charge. The batteries give an audible and a visual alert when they need to be replaced, giving staff plenty of time to make sure their cart is in working order before moving on to the next patient.
When changing a battery, there is no need to wait for the IT department to change it. The straightforward hot-swap system allows any trained user to change a low battery for a fresh one in less than a minute.
The intelligent battery control system also directs power where it is needed most on the cart, and stops immediately should it detect a fault. Coming with a 5-year warranty, you can be confident your battery will be reliable and keep your cart running for the long-term.
In Conclusion
Every medical facility aims to improve productivity so they can improve patient care levels and also increase profitability. Mobile workstations can significantly improve when it comes to how much time employees spend on unnecessary tasks when they could be treating their patients.
Not only is this beneficial for patients, but it can also bolster staff morale as they spend more time doing the job they love.
For a free consultation or to request a quote, contact Scott-Clark Medical at (512) 756-7300.