When looking for the most suitable medical utility cart for your needs, you should consider how it will help you remain compliant with security and hygiene regulations, as well as safety and, of course, make sure it helps save you time, especially during high pressure situations. In an ever-changing medical setting, you need a solution that is both flexible and practical, so that you can be ready for anything. Patient and staff welfare should be paramount, and there are many factors to consider for ensuring maximum safety, security and efficiency.
- Manoeuvrability of the Medical Utility Cart
Your medical cart needs to be heavy-duty and sturdy, yet flexible and easy to move around when necessary. Be sure to look for durable swivel-locking rotating wheels, making moving and steering the cart in and out of corners and across corridors, perhaps across uneven surfaces or around debris, easy and safe.
Not only do you need smooth manoeuvrability for speed, but you will also need to consider the well-being and safety of your staff. A well thought out, ergonomic design and wheels designed with maximum mobility for sharp turns with heavy loads mean reduced risk of injury and strain to all staff that have to transport them. Pay careful attention to the height and weight of the cart as well as making sure the placement of the handles ensures maximum mobility for transportation.
- Cleanliness of the Utility Cart
Medical utility carts are often transported from patient to patient between highly infectious areas, so being able to keep all surfaces spotlessly clean is a top concern in medical settings, whether a medical facility, hospital, or clinic. It is important that your medical cart is designed and constructed to be both easy to clean, and also that they are made from such materials that they are resistant to potentially corrosive cleaning chemicals.
Damaged surfaces can become even more of a breeding ground for dirt, dust and bacteria, compounding the issue further, so look for a utility cart made from materials such as a chemical-resistant powder coat. These will withstand the chemicals required to keep all equipment within health and safety, and sanitation regulations.
Also check out the cart design very closely; you want to see smooth surfaces and integrated seams rather than hidden gaps and joints which are difficult to sanitize and don’t support infection control.
- Cart Adaptability To The Environment
As well as being able to transport equipment and relocate your cart quickly and easily, you want it to be flexible in its use and adaptable to your needs as they change. When working at speed, soft touch closing drawers that fully extend are a must, so that you can locate their contents instantly, as well as being able to store a variety of shapes and sizes of equipment safely. These soft touch drawers don’t make any creaky sounds which is important to maintain hospital’s decorum for creating a better experience for their customers.
A smooth surface design ensures easy labelling so that contents can be clearly organized for rapid location, and an ergonomic cart shape enables you to store it under a desk when not in use, or position it in a corner without being in the way. Often these carts are height adjustable for efficient storage and with the aim of reducing work-related injuries such as back strain or repetitive strain injury.
- Security of Cart Contents
It is vital that the contents of your medical cart are kept secure at all times. You should always ensure that drawers have the mechanical ability to automatically close, rather than being left open in haste in time-pressured situations, and that the compartments, trays and drawers are fully lockable by key, so that the contents can only be accessed by authorized personnel. Our utility carts are equipped with keys and a self-closing security feature to ensure complete safety and peace of mind operation in the hospital.
The right medical cart will mean your medical staff can deliver their duties in an efficient, seamless and streamlined way without delays and reducing errors. Carts are vital for maintaining a high level of care and accuracy, both in administering treatment and for maintaining inventory levels.
Ultimately, the top priority when researching and selecting a medical utility cart should be improving the quality of patient care. This can take many forms, including minimizing cross-contamination risk and enhancing infection control through easy and efficient cleaning, time-saving measures through streamlined organization, effortless manoeuvrability and ergonomic design, as well as secure lockable drawers for protection of the unit’s contents and patient safety.
