5 Tips to Get Your Medical Computer to Last Up to Eight Years

The medical computer market is flooded with sub-optimal, consumer-grade PCs that don’t offer durability, nor stand up to the challenges.

Choosing a medical grade computer can be challenging as the market is flooded. Some solutions are off-the-shelf providing minimal customization such as VESA mounting to fit into the medical market. Others are positioned as medical grade without adhering to industry standards. With the current state of the computer market, it is a challenge to choose the affordable solution that works well with EMR, clinical review applications, medical carts and can run 24/7 for years on end.

More so, the ever-evolving medical software such as EHR requires increasingly powerful processing power and hardware features. Therefore, a truly durable medical grade computer will future-proof your investment and provide a tangible and solid return on your investment in the long run. The following recommendations provide guidance on how to evaluate medical computers properly to identify whether or not they will be durable and reliable, long-term.

The Durability

Endurance may not be a visibly distinguishable asset. Medical grade computers might look like their off-the-shelf peers but for the slight differences in the design, curves, and casing color. The true durability lies in the quality of the said casing, chassis, discreet parts and their ruggedness.

If you are looking for five to eight years durability, look for no less than military-grade quality. Military-grade (MIL-STD) quality components in medical grade computers and consumer-grade hardware in commercial PCs are worlds apart. The durability and reliability granted by industrial grade components are always backed up by engineering and design choices that put reliability and durability at the core.

Engineering and discreet parts selection, rigorous testing and certifications often last for years in the medical grade computers. Compare that to six months, which is a typical rate at which manufacturers of commercial PCs release new models.

Medical grade computers made with sturdy plastic casing, which is IP65 sealed and fanless, outperform consumer-grade computers made with weaker plastic that can not withstand proper disinfection required in healthcare settings. Expect the latter to begin deteriorating after several proper disinfection rounds. Needless to say, you can not expect a commercial AIO to withstand exposure to liquids.

A medical grade computer not only withstands disinfection with liquid chemical solutions but protects the internal components from the dust and liquid ingress. The MIL-STD components ensure reliable 24/7 run while the consumer-grade hardware is not made to work non-stop without failure.

The Battery

Health care facilities are among the greatest consumers of battery-powered devices. The faults in medical cart batteries, for example, have created a strong prejudice against battery-powered electronics.

The point is powered carts might be graded as medical, but their batteries are far from adhering to industry standards of safety or durability. Hence, the recent FDA warning about powered carts’ batteries overheating and catching fire. Moreover, the batteries in many powered carts used in health care system require replacement every six to twelve months. This high failure rate does not help achieve a high ROI, let alone durability.

Medical grade computers powered by hot-swap batteries are durable because the batteries, too, are built to last. Not only regarding full-shift uptime and flexible charging options, but also in terms of the batteries’ lifecycle. These batteries are tested and certified to perform reliably under the 24/7 pressures of healthcare settings.

The Upgradability

Most commercial electronics these days is built with planned obsolescence. That is why older smartphones, tablets, and laptops do not support newer OS versions. That is why batteries’ and fans’ lifecycle runs out faster that the lifecycle of the rest of the hardware components. And a broken fan may result in overheating and failure of the device’s critical components. Planned obsolescence is a design choice that makes products wear out and fail so that the consumer is forced to buy a new one.

A medical grade computer’s flexibility and upgradability translate into long-term reliability, future-proofing your investment. You must be able to upgrade your hardware when the need arises. Be it to accommodate new features of your EHR solution, or to connect your computer to new (or legacy) equipment you add to your infrastructure.

Compare the costs of buying new computers to accommodate a heavy update of your Epic EHR, versus simply upgrading your existing medical grade PCs with more memory or storage.

The future needs might not be your greatest concern today, but if you need a long-term solution, make sure you investigate your prospective medical computers provider properly. See what upgrade options will make your medical PCs durable and highly functional for 5-8 years to come.

The Infection Control

Antimicrobial coating on computer casing is one of the important properties that makes it medical grade. Infection control is paramount in healthcare facilities, and non-medical grade computers become infested with pathogens very quickly. The consumer-grade plastic becomes the home and the breeding ground for bacteria and fungi, hampering the safety of personnel and the patients.

Computer surfaces with antimicrobial coating have two critical advantages – a) they keep eliminating pathogens in between the cleaning and disinfection rounds, b) they are sturdier and less porous than the plastic used in consumer PCs and can withstand the harsh chemicals used in hospital disinfection. Such sturdy surfaces will be durable for years supporting organizations’ infection control strategies.

The Overall Failure Rate, Availability of Spare Parts and Warranties

When selecting medical grade computers, inquire into the manufacturer’s proven track record of the overall failure rate. Notably, the fail rate must be proven to be low when the computers are used in scenarios likely in your particular case. For example, in healthcare computers are used non-stop 24/7. Can the manufacturer provide the numbers for 24/7 use of the device in healthcare settings? What is the computer’s life expectancy under such intense use?

If the medical grade computer shows a low overall failure rate when used 24/7 for five to eight years with warranties, extended warranties, and availability of spare parts throughout the lifecycle of the device, you are in for a safe investment.

Some manufacturers offer a free replacement in the event of accidental damage and provide free demo units, so that you can test the computers in your particular environments and use cases.

Final Words

Providing clinicians and IT admins with medical grade computers that address their needs and meeting your ROI and TCO goals is a formidable challenge. However, with the proper investigation you can find the configuration that does just that – lets you do more with less, lasts up to eight years and alleviates the burden of your staff.

Of course, the above elements are not the only ones that translate into computers’ durability. There are many other factors such as flexible VESA mounting for deploying on mobile carts, walls, bedside arms, or light weight and ergonomic design. Of particular importance is the compatibility with legacy hardware. So, legacy ports and the possibility to customize ports is paramount as it defines if your medical computer will fit well into the existing system.

Pay close attention to customization options overall. Disk imaging, the flexibility of choosing OS versions, removing bloatware, or embedding external peripherals into the AIO build altogether – the number of customization options available today is impressive. A reliable manufacturer will be there for service and extended warranties throughout the devices’ lifecycle.