Hospital efficiency is important for several reasons. First, it can help reduce costs and improve productivity. Second, it can improve patient care by improving workflows and making necessary supplies more accessible. Finally, efficient hospitals tend to have higher staff satisfaction rates.
Healthcare facilities are always looking for ways to optimise efficiency, and med carts (medical storage on wheels) are one way to do that. These mobile storage cabinets help keep things organised and can be easily moved around, saving time and helping nurses and doctors be more efficient in their work. This is backed by research from the Electronic Health Reporter, which notes their importance. However, with utilisation only at 50 percent, there is still much to be desired regarding these tools.
Let’s find out how healthcare institutions can utilise wheeled medical storage to make a difference.
Pertinent Equipment and Supplies
Hospitals need to look closely at the equipment and supplies they have on hand to ensure they are being used efficiently. With so much waste and underutilisation documented, it’s important to get an accurate picture of how often equipment and supplies are used.
The 50 percent utilisation reported by Electronic Health Monitor shows how much resources and space are wasted. With wheeled medical storage not in active duty, that’s an additional floor area dedicated to items instead of patient care.
On the other hand, housing items in a mobile cabinet are visible, accessible, and convenient. Medical teams can customise cabinets to contain the items that each unit uses most, such as surgical instruments and anaesthesia in the surgery unit, crash cart supplies in the emergency room, and wound care supplies on patient floors.
These cabinets may also house various equipment, including a glucometer, a heart monitor and defibrillator, an oxygen tank, and blood pressure cuffs. Best of all, wheeled medical storage cabinets can deliver equipment, and supplies can be delivered to specific hospital units and patient floors. As such, they can also be stored in or on employee premises to guarantee proximity and readiness for use.
Workflows
Moving on from the items being used to the people who use them, nurses—in particular—need to have an efficient workflow to provide quality patient care while reducing waste and optimising their time with patients. And with nurses having odd caps on patient service, they need help.
Healthcare facilities can improve patient care and nurse satisfaction by establishing efficient and productive workflows. This can be done by placing common items in mobile medical storage cabinets so nurses don’t waste time searching for them. This way, nurses can spend more time doing the things they love and enter the profession to do.
An even better approach could be to follow the protocol mentioned concerning equipment and supplies. Since certain units use certain items they need on their person at all times, nurses can follow this format. With wheeled medical storage, they can carry patient-specific medical tools or medicines directly in their shifts, stopping only to refill at a hub once they run out of supply or recharge. This will be especially handy in emergencies or when communicating with more than one doctor.
Conclusion
Mobile medical storage makes a difference in a facility’s floor plan, patient care, and staff workflows. There’s more space for patients to be treated comfortably, more effective treatment since the tools needed are readily available, and more efficient administration by medical staff due to its quick, convenient transportation.
Order mobile medical storage today from PP Healthcare Solutions. We provide clients with high-quality solutions with a range of static or mobile HTM71 storage, cupboards, rack & shelving, and more. Visit our online inventory to learn more.