| How to Select the Best Workstations on Wheels (WOW) for your Hospital |
-
Are Computer Carts in your Hospital just computers on a stick?
- Are they just desks on wheels used to transport computes or laptops from one hospital room to another?
We do not think so. Ensuring you select the best mix of WOWs and hospital wallmount Solutions for your healthcare facility requires an extensive assessment of your clinical and patient care needs, and a careful evaluation of cart solutions. One cart does not work for every hospital or room. You will need to evaluate the needs of specific floors, units, and
departments. Healthcare Cart does just this with you.
Let us begin by an overview of the categories of computer carts used in healthcare.
|
|
| Healthcare Computer Carts Categories |
Basic computer carts
Simple stands or poles with wheels that support computers or laptops and allow you to move computers within exam rooms or throughout the
healthcare facility. They have no onboard
power systems and little ergonomic control.
Adjustable carts
A slight variation on the basic
carts, an adjustable carts that has no onboard power
system, but they provide some ergonomics,
such as vertical height adjustment.
Powered carts
Adjustable computer carts with basic
onboard battery power systems, allowing healthcare staff to
provide their mobile computers with extended battery
power while on the go.
Powered workstations
Full-featured mobile computing
solutions for clinicians. Powered workstations provide
mounting options for a variety of computing options
including laptops, small form factor computers, LCD's with computers, all-in-one PCs, and tablet
PCs. These devices typically have sophisticated onboard
power systems that not only provide extended power to
the computers, but also enable powered ergonomic adjustments
and drawer security features.
Powered medication carts
These devices are
powered workstations with a series of locking drawers for secure medication transport and onboard medication drawers for accurate medication administration.
Integrated medication carts
While powered medication carts provides stand-alone medication administration solutions, the integrated medication carts integrate these units with the healthcare facility?s back-end IT systems (e.g. EMRs, practice management,
etc.).
The above carts can be further modified or customized with a variety of different storage, ergonomics, and battery power options. With so many choices, making the right mobile cart decisions for your healthcare facility can definitely be a challenge. Many hospitals have demo fairs or vendors to allow the nursing staff to make this selection process. However, is this the best method? Yes, buy - in is important, but are clinicians looking at colors and esthetics or are they considering work flow and how the workstation will be used? What are the factors being considered as clinicians look at the various vendors' demos at this cart vendor fair? Is the clinical staff checking out storage needs or battery life as well as battery safety?
|
| Computer Cart Selection Tips |
- What are the specific caregiver needs at the Point-of-Care?
What is the application? Is it for the Emergency Department, NICU, Phlebotomy Lab, Physician Office or at the hospital patient bedside?
- What systems and processes do clinicians use for providing patient care in their current work environments, and how could a mobile workstation on wheels or wallmount workstation complement them? What is the clinical work flow?
- Are the workstations comfortable and easy to use? Are they ergonomic? Are the mobile computer carts designed so
they are adjustable and facilitate good posture for all
caregivers, regardless of their height, or whether
they are sitting or standing?
- Are there any existing technology standards in the hospital? How will the mobile carts operate with the hospital existing technology infrastructure?
- Is length of time in usage important? How long will your mobile carts be used during a typical shift? Will you be plugging them in every four hours or do you need to run a full shift on one charge?
|
|
