A Complete Guide to Mobile Medical Carts

Clinics everywhere have been modernizing their facilities in many ways. Hospitals have upgraded equipment, introduced telehealth for long-distance appointments, and improved work environments for medical staff with medical carts. Continuing to improve and modernize the medical center is essential, and you can do better for your workplace by adopting medical supply trolleys. Start thinking about enhancing your hospital or clinic while reading a complete guide to mobile medical carts.

What Is a Mobile Medical Cart?

A mobile cart is a device that allows workers to port computers, tools, and other essential items around the workplace. These carts are typically found in medical centers, where nurses use them to see patients in the exam and emergency rooms. Medical laptop carts on wheels come in many styles.

What To Look For in a Medical Supply Cart

A medical supply cart needs to have certain features. Start thinking about the daily challenges your staff experiences while walking between medical rooms and patients. Your workers might have trouble with space and height and keyboard adjustment. These things impact much of the day, leading to later health problems. Here is what you need to look for in a medical supply cart.

Height and Keyboard Adjustment

The height of the medical cart and keyboard should be adjustable. Workers need the ability to alter a cart and keyboard so they’re not straining themselves when lifting or lowering a hand cart or keyboard.

Traditional medical workplace trolleys require workers to lift manually, causing severe strain on the musculoskeletal region. Workers can lift better and adjust to their expectations with a motorized cart. Motors are efficient since all a doctor or nurse needs to do is push a button to lift the cart up or down when needed.

Workspace

Since nurses need to use tubes, needles, and medication for patients, the portable devices they use must have enough space to place them so they can complete each task. A good amount of space can help each task go faster.

Maneuverability

Computer carts need a handle or some pushing mechanism on multiple sides so staff can easily move the carts around the clinic. If the carts don’t have a handle, workers could injure themselves. Invest in a workstation with enough handles for a medical worker to move it from different sides.

Weight

Depending on how much a staff member needs to carry with them, the weight of your cart matters. You might sometimes want a lightweight cart, but it’s not always the best since most have freeform wheels that don’t work well on most surfaces. Heavier carts might also work well if matched with the right wheel type. The right wheels can give the user more control over the trolley.

Cable Organization

The medical environment is overrun with outlets. Having to run cables from different parts of the room to run one machine is an environmental crisis of its own in medical facilities. Spatial awareness is essential here; a cart should have a cable holder to keep cables organized. Even coiled cords will no longer get tangled with other cables.

Monitor Flexibility

If you have a cart with an attachment for a monitor, you should be able to modify its angle for better comfort. When aligned with a medical worker’s height, a monitor at the right angle reduces body strain. Carts with a monitor attachment can tilt the screen between 24 and 180 degrees. Workers can also pan the screen, meaning they can easily move the screen to the side to show others test results or an X-ray.

Battery Life of Laptop Carts on Wheels

Since employees work long shifts, any electronics they use should have a strong battery life. Many electronic laptop carts on wheels come with an indicator that notifies the user when it’s time to charge the cart. Depending on how long every shift is, each trolley takes lithium-ion, lead-acid, or lithium-iron-phosphate batteries—all are affordable and have strong life cycles.

Compliance

How compliant are medical carts? A laptop medical trolley cannot meet EN/IEC-60601-1 safety standards without being designed explicitly for the medical field. A trolley that’s good enough to use near a patient or attached to a medical device does meet standard compliance regulations because the cart’s manufactured to power electrical medical devices.

Additionally, these medical trolleys simplify cleaning using materials resistant to cleaning chemicals, dust, and other toxic liquids and fumes. Having a safe surface to work on is a big part of having a manageable work environment.

Do You Need a Warranty for a Medical Cart?

A warranty for a medical cart is essential; if a part breaks or is missing, a warranty protects you by covering replacement parts. These warranties typically last two to five years. Many companies guarantee protection for various parts of a medical cart, but each assurance plan may vary. For example, a battery protection plan might last only up to two years or less, while a warranty on manufactured parts, like bolts and handlebars, may last five years. If you want an extended warranty, ask the manufacturer you’re purchasing from about extension options.

Are Medical Trolleys Customizable?

Medical mobile carts are fully customizable. You can create one for your specific needs and add extra features if needed, like storage space and a part for hazardous waste disposal.

Hazardous Waste Disposal

A hazardous waste box could be essential, especially if you work in the emergency room. Biohazardous bins are necessary to store toxic refuse, such as pumped fluids, secretions, lab waste, and body parts infected with hazardous contagions.

Storage

Storage bins are essential and an element to always get on a cart. Since you need to use the keyboard and mouse when inputting patient information, you’ll like having holders to keep computer parts organized and prevent anything from being lost or stolen. Other compartment parts to get for your laptop medical cart include a container for gloves and a holder for disinfectant wipes.

Medication Station

Like the first aid kit, having accessible medication makes the wait time shorter and gets patients treated and out the door quickly. A medication box keeps pills and vials safe from being taken without authorization and keeps them organized for easier tracking and sorting.

You can design custom medical carts for your needs and even add modifications to make them more user friendly for medical staff. First Healthcare Products can help you create a medical trolley that meets every health-care worker’s needs by cutting down the time it takes to complete tasks and check patients in. Design a mobile medical cart to your specifications, and we will handle the rest.