Because we work one-on-one with clients to configure mobile medical carts and workstations on wheels for a range of settings - hospitals, clinics, doctors’ offices, long-term care facilities, and even mobile vaccine sites -- First Products is uniquely attuned to the emerging trends within this dynamic marketplace.
Below, we’ve compiled a list of the most interesting Medical Cart Design Trends for 2021 and beyond.
Wheels and casters are critical to a medical cart's mobility. But recent modifications to the IEC 60601-1 3rd edition are causing medical cart designers and manufacturers to reconsider and redevelop how they choose the best casters and wheels for their units.
New testing protocols now require a medical cart with braking mechanisms to sit on a hard, flat surface at a horizontal incline of five or ten degrees, depending on whether the particular test includes or excludes transport position. Medical carts with casters are required to undergo this test in the worst-case position for that product. To pass, they must not slide or move more than 50mm. We’ve noticed more of our clients requesting exclusively locking casters as a way of ensuring their medical carts meet these more stringent requirements.
In recent years, medical cart designers weren’t giving much thought to caster aesthetics, but that’s starting to change with more effort being made to ensure casters are visually pleasing as well as functional. The use of roll-resistant casters to avoid repetitive strain is also gaining favor, as are features that reduce cross-contamination levels and enable easier cleaning.
More streamlined, mobile carts are designed to fit into exam rooms, resident rooms and hallways for easy reach and room to move. More efficient use of space provides extra workspaces in the same square footage in medical offices and at nurses stations.
Mobile carts are increasing lighter weight with an eye towards ease of movement and engineered for stability and balance while in motion and in use. The availability of modern components that rely on lightweight materials and advanced technologies has enabled designers to create customized carts and workstations that are both highly aesthetic and highly functional.
Mobile medical carts designed for ease of cleaning are key. Durable, modern materials and streamlined design make carts easier to sanitize according to protocols.
Rather than reinventing the wheel, a growing number of healthcare customers realize that a modular medical cart or workstation can be an ideal starting point for customization. Trying out the basic model first offers the chance to gauge its usefulness in your specific setting with an eye towards adding or changing components if needed.
Integrated power supplies enable today's medical carts and workstations to mobilize just about any device, including laptops, monitors, barcode scanners, printers, ultrasounds, patient monitors, and imaging machines. And because most mobile carts and workstations now support battery hot-swapping capabilities, clinicians can be confident they’ll have an uninterrupted power supply throughout their shift. Even non-powered carts and workstations can be upgraded with the addition of a power supply.
Designers have become increasingly sensitive to how healthcare professionals and staff interact with the equipment on their carts. Carts with adjustable height work surfaces and mounts are important to the user’s physical alignment with the keyboards, touch screens and equipment components and controls. Making equipment use comfortable for staff increases employee satisfaction, workplace efficiency and helps reduce injury. Adjustability for a wide range of users over multiple shifts is important to functionality. Buyers request cart designs that understand the end-users health and safety needs and make the customer interface easier.
Developing a perfect-fit solution depends on a great partnership between the customer and the mobile cart provider. Personal Service should never be sacrificed in the name of speed. Knowledgeable solutions providers will work with buyers to make sure they receive the cart that meets all of their requirements. At First Products, you’ll work one-on-one with our staff to identify the capabilities, construction, and options that will ensure your custom medical carts and workstations meet the needs of your staff now and in the future.
First Products has been assisting healthcare professionals for over 50 years.
We understand the challenges frontline medical professionals face daily, and we've leveraged our insight to help hundreds of hospitals, physicians’ offices, and long-term care facilities improve their workflows to achieve greater operational efficiency. If we don’t already have your perfect-fit solution available, we'll configure one for you!