How Medical Computer Carts Can Help with Patient Engagement

From resource preservation to creating safer work environments, the benefits of investing in quality medical computer carts are endless.

Medical workstations are known for empowering efficiency. But they do much more than that in the way of patient care. The right computer carts increase patient engagement and result in positive patient outcomes.

This article explores how medical computer carts can help with patient engagement and how your healthcare facility can improve patient interactions starting today.

1. Medical Computer Carts Bring Care to the Bedside

Your patients likely feel a sense of displacement and discomfort: they’re resigned to their assigned room –– and, in some cases, their bed –– instead of enjoying the freedom of staying in their home. Healthcare staff must understand the importance of sincere, compassionate patient engagement. When a provider connects with their patients, those individuals feel seen and understood, have a more profound respect for their doctor, are more likely to comply with their doctor’s orders, and often see more positive outcomes.

Medical computer carts directly affect a provider’s ability to positively and meaningfully engage with their patients. Mobile carts allow providers and nurses to wheel the equipment around a hospital floor, and right up to the patient’s bedside. This mobility enables hospital staff to bring healthcare technology –– and personal interactions –– directly to the patient instead of limiting themselves to a desk at the corner of the room.

Battery powered carts provide even more freedom and flexibility with patient engagement. Instead of being tethered to a power outlet, powered carts allow nurses to move anywhere within a room without tripping or pulling on a power cord.

By bringing care to the bedside through mobile medical carts, you can increase patient engagement and reap the benefits of connected teams, patients, and staff.

2. Powered Carts Improve Workflows

Hospital administration and management continuously explore ways to improve operational efficiency and streamline workflows. A hospital or healthcare facility is home to endless variables that can slow down care teams at every step, from patient intake to discharge. Every second of wasted or misused time adds up to thousands of dollars lost each year.

Using powered medical workstations can significantly reduce resource loss and empower your teams to work more efficiently and effectively. Hospitals utilizing computer carts save thousands annually by improving staff efficiencies. Mobile carts allow users to effortlessly transport their workstations from room to room, allowing for fast and accurate charting at the patient’s side.

In addition to the financial benefits of using a mobile computer cart, making the switch promotes higher patient engagement. Providers and nurses know that time is the most precious resource when managing a patient load. When your staff has the necessary tools to do their jobs efficiently, they have time to connect and engage with their patients beyond basic charting and care.

Hospital administration can return once-lost time to their teams by providing the proper equipment. Computer carts designed with healthcare staff in mind improve workflows, giving medical professionals time to slow down and engage with their patients.

3. Carts Streamline EMR Charting Processes

Medical computer carts allow doctors and nurses to enter patient data and update electronic health records at the point of care with fewer errors and delays. Physicians spend 4.5 hours a day on EHRs with every move needing to be documented. But when you provide your team with the right medical workstations, you empower them to accurately execute EMR and EHR input in real-time while maintaining the human connection with their patients.

Medical computer carts allow for better patient engagement, especially with high-acuity patients. These patients have the most information that needs to be documented in EMRs as well as EHRs. With computer workstations designed to improve this process, and to be compact, the hospital staff is able to easily communicate with their patients while inputting data. This streamlined process ensures that high-acuity patients have a sense of connection and care with their nurses and physicians.

4. Computer Carts Keep Equipment within Arm’s Reach

Mobile workstations make computers –– and EMRs –– easily accessible. But computer carts can house more than laptops or computers. Mobile carts keep frequently used medical equipment within arm’s reach, preventing nurses and providers from leaving the room to search for the tools or items needed to care for their patients.

Accessible storage in a computer cart saves the time required for staff to leave the room, walk to storage, and search for the devices in question. Instead, nurses and providers don’t have to leave the patient’s side. The cart can move easily and quickly from the room’s entrance to the patient’s bedside, increasing the time staff engages and interacts with those in their care.

5. Quality Medical Computer Carts Last for Years

Medical carts are necessary for hospitals and healthcare systems seeking methods to optimize workflows and improve patient care. But for optimal patient engagement, hospital administrators must prioritize investing in quality medical computer carts.

As you consider various carts for your facility, choosing workstations that are designed for healthcare is an important factor to staff benefitting from the cart. Having certain must-haves ensure the cart will help nurses and physicians work, and last for years. The last thing healthcare staff needs to worry about is if their equipment will continue to work. Some of the most important features to look for include:

• Durable materials that stand up to the rigors of clinical use
• Casters built to last after navigating various flooring and thresholds
• Security features that keep equipment secure and patients safe
• Reliable onboard power to optimize workflows
• Built-in infection control that prevents cross-contamination
• Space optimization for optimal storage and accessibility

The chosen medical carts should meet your entire facility’s needs while providing safe, ergonomic functionality for the user.

Choosing a Medical Computer Cart from a Provider You Can Trust

Your medical cart choices will affect the day-to-day operations within your hospital. To ensure the features match the wants and needs of your staff, choosing a manufacturer with a proven track record is important.

Altus sets the industry standard for computer workstations on wheels. Our team is happy to discuss how our solutions can help your teams thrive and better engage your patients. Reach out to learn how our carts can transform how you do healthcare.