Point of Care Refresh with Capsa Solutions Rubbermaid Healthcare and American River Medical

Point of Care Refresh with Capsa

El Dorado Hills, CA USA – Point of Care Refresh with Capsa Solutions Rubbermaid Healthcare. American River Medical performs “Mobile Computing Fleet Analysis” for hospital information system and nursing informatics teams in hospitals. This provides and indepth report of their existing technology platforms utilized to power their EHR’s.

Mobile computing carts and workstations continue to play the most vital role for hospital EHR technology platforms. Mobile computing carts are powerful, mobile, ergnomic, and intuitive. Healthcare professionals constantly utilize their carts for EHR management and optimal patient care.

The Problem

The current problems is an age old problem of the technology curve: Obselesence. Since the mandatory implementation of Electronic Healthcare Records (EHR) circa 2012 many hospitals are experiencing mobile computing fleets that are simply outdated, underpowered, and aesthetically used and abused. EHR is paramount to patient care outcomes in the following ways:

• Patient healthcare record data access and input 
• Medication Administration and Dispensing
• Revenue Charge Capture

Collectively these represent major character roles in any successful healthcare setting. The paramount function of patient healthcare record data collecting and access, medication administration and dispensing, and revenue charge capture requires a technology platform that can exececute at speeed and accuracy of today’s modern age.

Outdated point of care technology platforms are burdensome on hospital information system teams. Thus, outdated mobile computing carts are not only inhibiting a hospital’s ability to perform they are costing them valuable resources in ongoing deferred maintenance and operation.

The Solution

Performing as an individual team, point of care mobile computing carts and workstations are the empowering trifecta. They empower clinical healthcare professionals,  hospital pharmacy staff, and EHR patient record and billing staff. How your point of care mobile computing fleet executes these functions directly impacts a hospitals ability to deliver optimal patient outcomes and the bottom line.

Point of Care Refresh 2017

Hospitals engage American River Medical to perform “Mobile Computing Fleet Analysis.” With a team approach from our product manufacturer Capsa Solutions Rubbermaid Healthcare we provide hospitals with a comprehensive analysis that includes detailed focus on performance, power, compliance, technology interface, and ergonomics. By performing this analysis we demonstrate where a hospital’s mobile computing fleet has been, where it is now, and what it looks like in the future along the same path or with a “Refresh” of new technology in the form of an advanced fleet of mobile computing carts.

Hospitals that practice continual improvement in patient care and outcomes will review their EHR interface technology. The mobile computing cart and workstation is the pinnacle hardware technology interface in that equation.

Contact American River Medical to schedule your Point of Care Refresh with Capsa Solutions Rubbermaid Healthcare today by calling 1-8hundred-2eight5-twenty3hundred or emailing here and scheduling your Mobile Computing Fleet Analysis

American River Medical demonstrates how to “Review Users” on your S&S MedCart. Watch how Connor guides you through this simple yet valuable feature of the Partner Cart Series by S&S MedCart. Contact American River Medical to learn how to extract these audit trails from your S&S MedCart.

American River Medical’s informational video clip on how to set a temporary user on your S&S MedCart by Connor Benander…

Medical Cart Programming User Access Code – Watch this short video clip from American River Medical’s Connor Benander. These informational clips are a programming resource for new and existing S&S MedCart customers. Here, Connor will show you how to program and provide new user access to your S&S medical cart.

Ideal Mobile Cart Selection Process

Today’s healthcare market offers more options than ever in the world of mobile solutions, AKA: CARTS! Often healthcare professionals ask us how to choose the ideal mobile cart solution. Here is a simple, intelligent and proven way that will help you determine the best solution for your specific cart application.

American River Medical uses an intelligent two-stage process; “Primary” and “Secondary”. It is natural for one to look for the features they think they want, and then ask if they match the benefits they were seeking. By using this traditional method, many times the benefits are not clearly defined. Our team advocates to actually work backward! After all, the benefits you need and want are actually more important. They represent the advantage the specific feature gives you.

Here is how our Ideal Mobile Cart Primary Stage works. 1-2-3!

Step 1: What are the specific storage items targeted for the mobile solution/s?

Take the items to be stored and lay them out. Decide which items belong together. Categorize and configure them as they will be stored, drawer by drawer. Use a tape measure to measure the newly grouped products. Now reconcile these groups into drawer depth heights of 3″, 6″, 9″ or 12″.

NOTE: Most carts have either 24″ or 30″ of total vertical drawer space. Depending on cart application the user may be able to store additional items via accessory storage (tilt bins, baskets, etc.) or on top of the cart top itself.

Step 2: Identify the carts home or path of travel.

Will this cart be stationary (patient’s room, OR, vestibule of the ED)? Or will it have a path of travel? Many times carts travel from a point of stocking to a point of use. Perhaps the cart is being stocked in pharmacy and traveling to a medication room on a different floor. An IV cart will often account for more than one room in the department and therefore be mobile. Whether it is a stationary or mobility cart solution, it will have a place of purpose. Whether at the point of care or in a secured environment for the highly improbable disaster, its place of purpose has a footprint and 3-dimensional space. Assure the adequate room for the entire cart (Height, Width, Depth and don’t forget to leave accessories such as push-handle- shelving-charting tables, etc.).

Step 3: Who will be accessing the mobile cart?

Identify the individuals or groups of staff and physicians that will require access. This is very important. Remember there may be separate staff stocking the cart regularly or irregularly that may need access beyond the staff of intended use. Ask colleagues if they foresee another department needing access for any reason?

After you have identified the above, then you can move to the Secondary Stage where we answer the HOW.

Here is how our Ideal Mobile Cart Secondary Stage works: A-B-C!

Step A: Consider Step 1.

Do the items easily fit into a regular width cart? Could you possibly save some extremely valuable foot-space by using a narrow cart? Will the items fit easily into a vertical drawer configuration totaling 30″? Determine the preferred and acceptable cart height and widths. Prices will almost always invariably differ. If you know the dimensions you prefer, you may evaluate the potential savings justification of a smaller but adequate cart.

Step B: Consider Step 2.

If the cart is stationary, you may consider aesthetics as much as quality. Conversely, if your cart has a path of travel, an emphasis on overall cart durability and warranty are far more prudent than aesthetics. Steel boot casters would be an example of a durability feature desired for a mobile solution with a path of travel. If the cart is going to be mobile, durability, quality, and warranty will all be worthwhile proactive considerations over the 5-10+ year life of the cart. These proactive considerations will save you headaches and valuable time in the future.

Step C: Consider Step 3.

Now that you have and identified group of users, and the potential security access levels, you are ready to assess which locking mechanism is right for you. The majority of cart manufacturers offer key, mechanical push-button, or electronic numeric keypad options. Most really good manufacturers offer LCD, mag-stripe, biometric, RFID and proximity access technologies. Proximity card access is the hottest trend today in cart access due to it’s ability to interface with existing badge credentials, non-touch use, and very low margin for error or malfunction. A “Crash” or other “Emergency” type access cart suggests a break-away flap is ideal. This allows it to be visually secure, ensuring tamper proof contents at critical time of access.

Use these simple primary and secondary steps to get the ideal mobile cart for the right application every time.

When in doubt contact a Rep! You can easily do this via email or phone and they can prove to be an invaluable resource to work on your behalf. Most representatives or territory managers will jump at the chance, and may offer unknown options or applications as well as preferred pricing.

American River Medical Founder Tagg Neal is a Veteran of the medical cart industry and Your Trusted Cart Advocate. American River Medical is the authorized Representative for S&S MedCart in the western United States. He can be reached at: tneal@americanrivermedical.com

Medical Cart Programming – American River Medical’s informational video clips by Connor Benander. This video will show you how to program your S&S MedCart’s auto-lock or timeout function. These informational clips are a programming resource for new and existing S&S MedCart customers.See Connor program the medical carts timeout feature here.’

American River Medical’s informational video clips by Connor Benander. This video will show you how to program your medical cart name on a new or existing S&S MedCart. Enjoy!

Medical Cart Programming – American River Medical’s informational video clips by Connor Benander. This video will show you how to program your S&S MedCart’s timeout classification. These informational clips are a programming resource for new and existing S&S MedCart customers. S&S MedCarts offer two different timeout classification settings. The anesthesia setting will allow you to program the cart’s auto-lock feature between 1-20 hours. The partner cart setting will allow the auto-lock feature to be set between 1-3600 seconds. See Connor program the S&S medical cart’s timeout classification here.