Medical facility operation means everything moves quickly and your staff need to be able to keep up. As the number of medical patients rises – especially due to Covid-19 admissions – the impact that poor medical equipment, or poorly managed inventory can have on your healthcare teams and your patients can be utterly devastating.
If healthcare professionals don’t have access to the equipment they need, can’t find what they’re looking for, or the equipment they’re using is dated and not fit for purpose, then it not only makes their jobs harder, but also places their patients in danger.
Upgrading the medical carts within your facility is a simple but effective way to keep the level of care you provide high and gives your teams the equipment they need to do their jobs effectively. Medical cart uses cover a wide spectrum, from storage to transportation.
What are Medical Carts?
Medical carts are portable pieces of equipment that typically have drawers containing important inventory used to treat patients. These are often found in modern hospitals and are specially designed to help healthcare workers efficiently give the best care possible to their patients.
Let’s explore the top reasons healthcare facilities should prioritize upgrades of their medical carts.
What can you expect to find in a medical cart?
Every cart is designed for a specific purpose, which means each one may carry different tools and supplies. There are crash carts, point of care carts and medication carts.
The primary purpose is for patient treatment, so the medical cart is likely to carry the following:
- Surgical tools
- Medication
- Gloves, masks, gowns, face shields etc.
Why are upgrades necessary for medical carts?
Better Patient Care
Ultimately, your doctors, nurses and healthcare teams are here to provide premium medical care for every patient. From dealing with an emergency patient to providing a regular check-up for an infant, every piece of equipment should be of the highest quality and support the day-to-day practices of your medical staff.
Not only will updating your medical carts give your staff the help they need, but it will also increase confidence within your patients, making them feel cared for and increasing their overall wellbeing. Providing optimum care for patients gives them the best shot at recovering, or at the very least ensures they’re as comfortable as possible.
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Your team needs to be able to rely on the quality of your medical carts and their contents. In an emergency or during a critical procedure, a staff member should be able to find an item their patient desperately needs.
Better Inventory Management
Keeping on top of the thousands of individual pieces of medical equipment within a healthcare facility is incredibly time consuming. It also means errors and duplicate orders are commonplace, costing your healthcare center thousands every month. Updating your medical carts means better inventory management.
When healthcare professionals can see which equipment is running low, they can simply put in an order and top up the cart. It’s that simple. It also means a better healthcare experience for your patients and an efficient working environment.
When it comes to particular medicines, your team need to ensure that everything is in date and safe to use. Regular medical cart checks and keeping a note of all the inventory items will ensure every item is accounted. The stock should be arranged in a way so that the medicine that has the least amount of time left before expiring is used first and that patients are never given anything that is out of date, as this could be dangerous.
For example, taking expired melatonin will mean a patient may complicate sleep problems or lead to bacterial growth.
Streamlined Processes
There’s nothing more frustrating for patients than having to wait hours to be seen by a medical professional. One of the ways you can easily streamline your processes is by ensuring your staff has access to the right equipment, on the right stations.
When medical carts are used to transport patients, it also means beds are emptied quicker, and medical staff can hand over patients with the right equipment and medications for the first time. Creating a much more efficient working and patient environment.
If team members are constantly having to run back and forth and organization is non-existent, it not only screams a lack of professionalism, but it impacts the morale of the team and wastes time. When it comes to medical care, you can’t afford to waste a minute – medical carts need to be upgraded to meet the highest standard.
Providing the Right Care is Easier
When you update your carts, your staff will find it easier to find the equipment they need. When equipment is stored separately for either general or pediatric care, it reduces patient waiting times and means a better standard of care.
Upgrading your medical carts can streamline your entire medical facility with the benefits enjoyed by medical staff and patients alike. Consider the points above to update your health center.
