Tips for Choosing Medical Carts
Hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities must be stocked with high-quality equipment, including medical carts. For most facilities, the key is to balance quality against the clinic’s budget, but it’s never worth prioritizing price, alone. Instead, read on to find tips for choosing the best medical carts for any healthcare facility.
- Consider Intended Use
There are many different types of medical carts out there, many of which have specialized purposes. From Patient Registration Carts designed to make it easier for nurses to check-in patients to phlebotomy carts equipped with everything required to draw blood, there are plenty of options. Make sure to choose one that will suit its users’ intended purpose.
- Wheeled Carts Are a Better Investment
Not all medical carts are designed to be moved. Some remain stationary in patients’ rooms for use as supply cabinets and thus do not feature wheels. It’s usually more practical and cost-effective to purchase medical carts with wheels since they’re easy to transport between different rooms or buildings and are more versatile as a result.
- Know When to Require Locks
Not all medical supplies need to be locked up, but there are some circumstances that merit keeping one or more cabinets or drawers under lock and key. Medication carts are a great example since they often contain controlled substances and are a common source of drug diversion. Just make sure not to lock up equipment or supplies required to provide urgent, life-saving care, as this can create an unnecessary risk for patients.
- Most Carts Must Be Easy to Clean
If there’s one thing that most medical carts have in common, it’s that they are sometimes exposed to substances that can carry infectious diseases. Avoiding healthcare-associated infections should always be a top priority and the recent coronavirus pandemic brought the necessity of keeping hospital environments clean and sanitary into stark relief. Previously declining rates of healthcare-associated infections have been on the rise in the past two years and keeping medical carts clean by wiping them down before and after visiting patients who are on precautions can help to change that.
- It’s Not Worth Buying Cheap Equipment
Every purchasing manager has a budget to work with, but it’s not worth cutting corners when purchasing medical carts. While it’s fine to look for a vendor that offers competitive pricing, purchasing cheap carts that start to fall apart quickly and can’t be relied upon in an emergency is never a good idea. Instead of bargain hunting, look for a vendor that offers high-quality medical carts at competitive prices.
The Importance of Choosing a Good Vendor
Most hospitals and other healthcare facilities will need to purchase multiple types of medical carts over the years. It’s worth taking the time now to find a reliable vendor with a reputation for producing high-quality carts and offering good customer support. Choosing a reputable vendor also makes it easier to find the right carts since it gives purchasing managers access to a customer service specialist who will be knowledgeable, friendly, and happy to help.
