Healthcare providers always want more out of their tools. There's always room for improvement, whether it's more effective medication or more accurate diagnostic tools. Sometimes, however, improvement comes from an unexpected angle.
A battery-powered medical monitor may not be the upgrade most think of when considering new tech, but these devices actually have several advantages over conventional solutions when it comes to medical charting and mobile computing. When paired with a non-powered cart, battery-powered monitors offer a lighter, less expensive, and more flexible work experience.
1. Reduced Weight
One of the most consistently undervalued aspects of any equipment is its weight. Simply put, if it's too heavy to carry or push comfortably throughout the day, workers will abandon it. This is especially important for healthcare workers, who are often on their feet throughout the entire shift and must push their cart from room to room, patient to patient. It's no wonder, then, that healthcare has exceptionally high rates of workplace injuries, with musculoskeletal disorders caused by overexertion being some of the most common.
This is one area where battery-powered medical monitors and non-powered carts have a significant advantage over powered carts. On average, a conventional powered cart with a lithium-ion battery and an attached computer and monitor weighs roughly 110-120 lbs. For comparison, a non-powered cart will weigh between 60 and 85 lbs, a potential weight savings of 50%!
2. Cost Savings
Medical-grade equipment often comes with a hefty price tag. This is somewhat understandable, as anything used in a hospital must be produced to an extremely high quality. However, there are ways to save money without sacrificing on equipment.
When comparing a battery-powered monitor and a non-powered cart vs. a powered cart, one of the greatest disadvantages of the latter is how expensive the battery is. On average, a powered cart will cost $5,000, making up the lion's share of the expense. And that's just for the cart itself; purchasing a consumer-grade monitor and PC to mount on the cart can add hundreds of dollars more to that expense.
For comparison, a battery-powered medical monitor, thin PC, and non-powered cart have an average combined price tag of around $3,300. Multiply that across dozens, perhaps even hundreds of monitors and carts used in a hospital system, and you can see how these savings add up.
3. Can Support Peripheral Devices
Another significant advantage of battery-powered monitors is that they provide DC power rather than the usual AC that comes from outlets or larger batteries. Smaller devices such as printers or scanners rely on DC power and need a power brick to convert from one type of current to another.
However, with a battery-powered monitor providing DC power, these devices can get power directly from the monitor. This spares the need for power bricks, ensuring there's one less cumbersome object getting in the way while healthcare providers are trying to do their jobs.
4. Medical-Grade Design
A medical environment requires medical-grade devices to ensure the safety of providers and patients alike. A medical-grade battery-powered monitor comes with design and manufacturing certifications like IEC 60601-1 and an IP65-rated sealed front bezel to ensure its reliability, even under the strenuous pace of operations that hospitals work at.
5. Continue to Use Existing IT Structure
Hospital systems are often unwilling to give up currently existing computer solutions, and for understandable reasons. Upgrading to new equipment is a serious financial investment, and data must be ported from one set of devices to another.
However, a battery-powered monitor is simply a display solution, not a data management or storage device. This means it can replace current monitor and cart solutions while still letting you use your current slim PCs. This allows you to save money and reduce your workload without going through the time-consuming training process associated with new computer hardware.
Explore Battery-Powered Monitors from Cybernet
While it may not be the most obvious upgrade, a battery-powered monitor offers significant advantages over a conventional powered cart solution for healthcare workers.
If your healthcare group is interested in implementing battery-powered monitors or other healthcare computer solutions like medical grade tablets, contact the team at Cybernet Manufacturing. We'd be more than happy to explore how our products can make work faster, easier, and more efficient for your team.
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