A medical rolling cart with drawers is an excellent investment for any healthcare facility. Staff can perform their work more efficiently, physicians can spend more time with patients, and hospital profitability can increase.
There is an incredible number of configurations you can request for your utility cart, and it’s essential to choose the most suitable features to maximize results. It is often best to use several medical carts to provide staff with the information and equipment they need to treat patients.
While your choice depends on your medical team’s needs, there are several vital features to consider.
Battery Life
The most crucial aspect of any medical rolling cart is the battery life. If the unit is off the ward while recharging, it is of no benefit to staff. It can even be more disruptive if medics think they can perform their duties using the cart, spend time equipping it with all the necessary devices, and then have to stop to recharge it during their shift.
While some older mobile medical carts require recharging at a wall socket, at Scott-Clark Medical, we use our Flexible Mobile Cart Power Technology (FMCPT) and hot-swap battery system to keep your unit on the ward 24/7.
There is a charging unit on the cart, enabling staff to charge a battery while another powers the mobile workstation. The intelligent system diverts energy to the devices most in need, and there are audible and visual alerts when one battery is running low on charge.
The straightforward hot-swap design allows any staff member to replace the battery with a fresh one without IT personnel. Your team can repeat this process to keep the cart on the ward at all times.
Because each battery charge provides 6-10 hours of power, they only need to perform the hot-swap procedure, which takes approximately 30 seconds, 3-4 times per 24-hour period.
Storage Areas
Physicians and nurses want to be on the ward treating patients. By stocking their medical rolling cart with drawers, they can spend much longer with patients than if they have to continually return to static computer areas or equipment rooms.
The outside of the cart is an excellent location to add baskets that can hold routine medical supplies. Staff can store gloves, masks, and gowns in this area for quick and easy access.
You should check there is plenty of surface area on top for a portable laptop and that there is space to attach peripheral devices such as vital signs devices and magnetic card readers. You can label the pull-out drawers to make it easy to find equipment, and a staff member can replace any items they use during their shift.
It’s useful to attach a clipboard to the central cart pole and keep an inventory list of everything in the cart. During their shift, medics can always be aware of what they need to collect before seeing their next patient.
You may not need all this equipment now or for every department, but it’s useful to have the option to add these devices in the future. Medics can use locked drawers on their storage cart to keep more sensitive supplies, such as pharmaceuticals or sharps.
It’s essential to have separate storage containers for used or contaminated materials. Secure locking hazardous waste units are ideal for keeping potentially infected clothing and equipment safe and away from contact with medics, patients, and hospital visitors.
Electronic Recording Devices
Because medical supplies such as pharmaceuticals are subject to strict regulation, it’s crucial to have devices that provide a transparent audit trail. When a physician arrives at the point of care, they can use a wristband scanner that records the time and date they attended the patient.
This interaction also ensures the correct notes display on the screen, alerting the medic to any allergies or contraindications with medicines.
If the physician prescribes the patient with medication, they can use a barcode scanner to record the transaction. The system auto-generates a record of the time and date the physician prescribed the drug, the medication’s name and dosage, and the patient’s receipt.
You can also add an electronic signature pad, which the patient can use to acknowledge they are in possession of the medicine.
This feature helps protect physicians who may be busy and forget to note the prescription in the patient’s file. It’s also possible that a patient could forget they received the medicine, and the electronic record can remove any confusion or doubt.
These records are vital in the effect of any audit. You can produce the notes to show your medical facility and staff comply with regulations.
The notes are also useful for paying staff overtime or accounting for holidays. There is no need for a manual punch card or excel spreadsheet to show when staff are on duty, as they can use an encoded keycard to indicate when they began their shift and the time at the end.
Cart Materials
A mobile cart should be lightweight but robust. At Scott-Clark Medical, we use a combination of aluminum and durable plastics to construct heavy-duty carts that are easy to maneuver. You can add stainless steel or other materials depending on your requirements.
Because of the risk of infection transference in a hospital environment, the materials should be easy to clean. Smooth metals and plastics wipe down quickly, and staff can sterilize the surfaces before and after attending with a patient.
Remember to check which type of casters are on your rolling cart. Conductive casters collect the static electricity that gathers when the wheels move across the floor and return it to the ground. By preventing the current from reaching expensive equipment, they help ensure your devices are in working order when staff is on the ward.
Specialist Carts
Medical rolling carts are versatile, and you can purchase a model adaptable to the needs of just about any hospital department. Whether you are seeking a crash cart, isolation cart, or treatment carts, it’s essential to check the unit can perform the required tasks.
The type of mobile workstation you choose for a cardiac ward requires room for a defibrillator, multiple drawers for organizing specialized medications, and a laptop to provide medics with patient information.
A general-purpose mobile medical cart may not require as many drawers or even room for a laptop so that you can add different equipment such as cabinets or baskets for extra easily accessible storage areas.
Future-Proofed Cart
When you invest in a medical rolling cart with drawers, you don’t want it to be obsolete in five years. Because technology advances quickly, you need a unit that can adjust to work with the new technology.
At Scott-Clark Medical, we make mobile medical carts that are ready to integrate with modern technological advancements. We aim to keep you at the pinnacle of healthcare performance and can fit state-of-the-art equipment into your existing cart.
We specialize in retro-fitting older carts. If you have an existing cart that is not a Scott-Clark Medical model, we can upgrade it to meet the latest standards. This service is especially valuable to those who have a cart that uses an outdated battery system, as we can replace it with our FMCPT technology for superior operating times.
You may also find with some suppliers that replacement parts are not available if they suffer wear and tear damage several years later. By working with a mobile cart refurbishment specialist, you can get the maximum lifespan from your workstation.
Contact Us For More Information
Scott-Clark Medical supplies high-quality medical rolling carts to medical facilities across North America and Canada. We have extensive experience from over two decades of working with medical institutions that demand exacting performance standards from their mobile carts.
For a consultation on how a Scott-Clark Medical mobile cart can benefit your healthcare business, contact our sales team at (512) 756-7300.