Understanding All-In-One Medical-Cart Computers for Point-of-Care

Point-of-Care drives nearly every variation of medical equipment found in a facility. The POC is the location the medical-cart has in proximity to services or procedures being completed, and determines whether the cart is stocked with pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, or data in an all-in-one medical-cart computer.

Many medical carts reside in a Pre-POC storage and restocking area until needed. Of these, all-in-one medical-cart computers may be lined up near where batteries are kept for quick hot swapping, and the charging stations for the batteries can also be located nearby so drained batteries can be plugged in. As rooms are assigned to patients, medical-cart computers can also be assigned to the room, or dedicated to recording the care of that patient through the facility.

Common Medical-Cart Computer POCs

More and more medical-cart computers are being implemented in hospitals and other care facilities, and designated for doctor and nurse use, streamlining patient care and ensuring that data is correctly input in a timely manner. An all-in-one medical-cart computer provides medical staff with the ability to quickly and effectively manage:

  • Facility Operations and Maintenance. Data to be accessed could include power grid and Internet options, managed via an all-in-one medical-cart computer with a built in battery.

  • Central Supply. While many medical carts will simply be designated for restocking, one or more medical-cart computers may be used to track inventory and assign tasks.

  • Pharmacy / Medication. Obviously the need for tracked inventory is even more crucial when pharmaceuticals are involved, an all-in-one medical-cart computer with a built in battery provides a timestamped way to verify dosages and administration.

  • Sterile Processing. Another POC that may or may not require data entry, these medical carts are located by sterile rooms or outside operating theaters.

  • Traction. Specialty items and procedures are required for traction patients, and a POC medical-cart computer can help make sure staff remember protocols.

  • Anesthesia POC medical-cart computers can also require additional equipment and hot-swappable batteries for continual for accuracy of treatment and up to the minute reports on a patients condition.

  • NICU. There is probably no other place where information on patients is updated more frequently than the neonatal ICU. Staff members can make extensive notes so each new shift can be quickly updated and review data from the previous shifts. An all-in-one medical-cart computer can move with the neonatal bed from location to location.

Carts with built in mobility and computing power provide an upgraded experience for both patients and staff. Instead of being forced to retreat to a centrally located terminal to enter data and waiting for a slot to open up, a medical cart computer can be quickly utilized at the Point-of-Care and the data fed directly into the database from anywhere in the hospital. Authentication protocols meet HIPAA requirements, and patient care improves significantly.