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Carts & workstations: Battling the evils of patient care ineffi ciencies
by Rick Dana Barlow Photo credit: sudok1 and Yay Images |
stock.adobe.com C
arts and workstations represent the equipment dynamic duo of clinical and operational productivity that
enable and facilitate patient service – same healthcare time, same healthcare channel. hich of the pair can be classifi ed as the “sidekick” may depend on perceived functionality, routine responsibilities and simple opinion about usefulness. Regardless, the equipment remains ubiquitous on nursing floors, in patient
CARTS
Key attributes, benefi ts, features When it comes to key features, keeping in mind the diversity of cart applications, two primary attributes lead the list. First up is a vital factor which takes on additional emphasis in the pandemic era: Cleanability. “The most important attribute to look for in any medical cart is a
heavy-duty, easy-to-clean construction,” insisted Dave Salus, Health- care Market Manager, InterMetro Industries. “To make maintaining your cart easier, your choice should include easy-to-clean surfaces. Any cart with dips and crevices where dirt can sit will over time make your cleaning regimen less effi cient. If you want to make the cleanliness of the cart a priority, it would also serve you well to invest in a cart with antimicrobial properties. Having antimicrobials built into the cart helps keep the cart cleaner, longer and helps maintain the cart's quality.” Keep wear and tear in prime focus, Salus warned. “It is also best to focus on carts that aren’t going to dent or chip
Dave Salus
when they are in use,” he continued. “Carts take a beating, and the design of the cart you chose should be capable of handling that harsh environment without immediately showing wear and tear. Carts with these attributes are easier to take care of and will save your team from unnecessary headaches in the long run.” The second? Confi guration fl exibility.
10 July 2022 • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS •
hpnonline.com
rooms and in clinical corridors and public hallways. Whi le these particular pieces of
equipment have seen their share of design and functional advance- ments through the years, experts acknowledge ongoing opportunities for improvement.
Healthcare Purchasing News reached out to a group of cart and workstation manufacturers to offer their insights
and observations about equipment dynamics in context of current events in healthcare, including the lingering COVID-19 pandemic. HPN posed ques- tions about relevant and useful product attributes, benefits and features; what elements should be added to current models; what tends to be missing func- tionally; and what elements should be eliminated. Six executives from five companies accepted HPN’s challenge.
WORKSTATIONS
Key attributes, benefi ts, features Just as with carts-, experts specify certain preferred features that represent a well-rounded workstation used by clinicians and nurses. Dave Salus, Healthcare Market Manager, InterMetro Industries;
Bradley Carlson, Product Manager, TouchPoint Medical; and Steve Torbett, Senior Product Manager, Acute & Point-of-Care Products, Capsa Healthcare, zero in on complementary attributes related to a single theme – ergonomics. Salus cites confi gurability. “Having the freedom to build a work- station that is adjustable for every member of your team and that can be easily confi gured to their height is a game changer,” he said. “Having a worksurface that can be adjusted to fi t the height of the person working can help relieve strain and make working throughout the day easier.” For Carlson, this means improving runtimes, which translates to
more time dedicated to direct patient care and away from indirect patient care pertaining to ad- ministrative processes. “Without question, the most important benefi t
of any mobile computing workstation is its ability to assist caregivers with and enable an improved level of patient care,” he said. “This can only be achieved with lightweight, easy-to-maneuver, ergonomically friendly mobile workstations that offer superior run- times. On average, nurses spend 35% of their time entering data and
Bradley Carlson
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