SPECIAL FOCUS
that state most frontline staff spend 64% to 90% of their time on their feet1
and they
also are mobile, walking 2.4 to 3.4 miles per shift.2
“Using mobile equipment that is designed to assist caregivers in their work can increase efficiency,” he continued. “Some of the work they do requires staff to move from room to room. Mobile products can help. Both mobile carts and mobile workstations can be used in-room at the point of care and then can be easily moved out of the way when not in use. Mobile carts and workstations can also help keep the focus on the patient as the patient-caregiver experience is important in achieving better outcomes.” Carts and workstations can contribute to improving safety for the caregiver in terms of ergonomic positioning, according to Hazelwood. “Reaching and straining can lead to fatigue injuries,” he indicated. “Better ergonomics is necessary for healthcare workers, who are among one of the most at-risk professions in the U.S. for mus- culoskeletal injuries. In fact, healthcare workers are almost three times as likely to suffer from work-related injuries than construction workers.3
Mobile carts and
workstations can help improve efficiency and safety in the outpatient setting. But, more importantly, these products can assist in improving patient and staff experiences and clinical outcomes.”
Joe Hillebrand, National Sales Director, Altus, witnesses the functional evolution of carts and workstations in both the acute care hos- pital and nonacute care provider segments. “If you look at the evolution of the mobile workstation space, the first iterations of computer
Joe Hillebrand
workstations were either charting stations based in the hall or bulky computers on carts, neither of which enhanced workflow or improved the patient experience,” Hil- lenbrand told Healthcare Purchasing News. “Today, the leading cart manufacturers are now designing carts with the patient experience and the user experience in mind. Today’s industry-leading carts are lightweight and highly mobile to bring technology to the bedside, ultimately resulting in a better episodes of care and higher patient satisfaction.” Hillebrand highlights an increased focus
on mobility and ergonomics as an ongoing development. For example, adjustments to the monitor mounts, keyboard trays and sit-to-stand height ranges are designed to provide maximum comfort and optimal
ergonomics for the clinicians, he notes. “A lightweight cart that improves mobility and the ease to push, pull and steer are all crucial to clinicians who walk miles a day,” he added.
Hillebrand also emphasizes aesthetics and design as important for carts and workstations.
“This trend started in health facility inte- rior design to improve the environmental aspects of a care and healing environment and has certainly filtered down into the equipment being used in these care set- tings,” he said. “Altus, for example, takes many design cues from our office furniture roots. These workstations are usually the first thing a patient sees when admitted, and the last thing seen when they leave. We believe in designing products that enhance the aesthetics of a care environment and is a key piece in patient satisfaction.” Cart and workstation design and utility
also have been applied to the nonacute settings as well, according to Hillebrand. “Point-of-care charting has proven to reduce errors and improve workflow, so it is only natural that adoption flows across the continuum of care,” he said. These workstations benefit both the clinician and the patient. “The patient benefits because when the doctor or nurse uses a mobile worksta- tion, they can position it in a way so that they are still facing the patient, making eye contact and providing a higher level of care – known as the triangle of care,” he continued. “For the clinicians using the workstation, they benefit from improved mobility and ergonomics that you might not get while carrying a laptop from room to room and typing on your lap, as well as reduced workplace injury claims.” Angela Poulson, Senior Product Manager for Healthcare, Ergotron, wonders how the pandemic response might be affect- ing perception of cart and workstation development. “With heightened media attention on hospitals, clinics and health systems surrounding the pandemic overall and vaccine roll- out, it may seem like carts and workstations play a bigger role in healthcare,”
Angela Poulson
Poulson mused. “But over the years, these solutions have become increasingly more integrated into caregiver workflows. s caregivers need more access to the elec- tronic health record (EHR) and complete a greater portion of their documentation work while they’re with the patient, the need for carts and workstations has increased.”
With the aging baby boomers need- ing more care, including long-term care, demand for carts and workstations is increasing, according to Poulson. Another key motivator? The pandemic, which has caused explosive growth in telehealth adoption, she observed. Mobile solutions, such as carts, remain key for telehealth and offer an opportunity for vaccination support.
“Recently, there’s been a lot of demand for carts that support vaccination rollout workflows — mobility is critical,” she added. But Poulson also acknowledged that installing wall-mounted workstations may be preferable to limit the number of carts that go in and out of patient rooms each day.
Steve Torbett, Senior Product Manager, Capsa Healthcare, expresses pleasant sur- prise with the ongoing development and growth of carts and workstations within the last two decades that seem to integrate everything a caregiver – and patient – needs. “Well-designed work- stations offer flexible solutions for mounting displays and devices, easy access to supplies, and secure and safe medica- tion administration,” Torbett noted. “They are essential not only for ease-of-use and efficiency, but also for maximizing patient engagement by facilitating caregivers’ ability to remain close to and interact with patients. It’s all about improving patient care and workflow, while designing the workstation ergonomically to minimize physical strain for caregivers.” Torbett zeroes in on tablet use by many physicians for basic tasks. The small displays on tablets can limit physician capabilities and make them less efficient for more intensive use, he added. “We have seen growth in use of small rounding carts by physicians and other highly mobile users with tablets and small laptops for these other benefits compared to carrying a device by itself,” Torbett noted. “We have seen demand grow for larger displays and even dual monitors as technology interaction keeps advancing at the point of care. For example, telehealth has grown dramati- cally, leading to requirements for separate cameras, sound/microphone bars and other devices. Workstations also provide easy access to supplies and medications. They offer full size keyboards and mice for efficient data entry, which is particularly important during more time-consuming tasks. Nurses typically spend a major- ity of their time doing documentation,
Steve Torbett Page 12
hpnonline.com • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS • April 2021 11
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