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3 Unique Point of Care Uses for Medical Computers

Dedicated medical computers make it easier for doctors to do their jobs regardless of where their patients are treated

The efforts of any medical organization always lead back to point of care: the location where the patient is actually treated. That usually means a hospital bed or somewhere similar, but it can also mean an examination room in a doctor’s office, a lab conducting specialized tests, or even the patient’s own home. It should be the focal point for any medical organization: the place where actual healthcare is practiced and actual patients are treated.

The advent of telehealth practices and similar advances in technology have made is easier than ever to facilitate point-of-care services. Once relegated to the hospital, they can now take place practically anywhere. Dedicated medical computers with features specific to the healthcare industry can expand the reach of point-of-care services and make it easier for doctors to do their jobs regardless of where their patients are treated. Here’s a look at 3 unique point-of-care uses for medical computers.

Closing the Distance for Rural and Poor Patients

Patients in rural areas and those without ready means of transportation have an exceedingly difficult time receiving care. The time involved in travel can disrupt work schedules for people who can’t afford to leave their jobs during the day, and in the case of the elderly or those with serious conditions, simply leaving their house may require considerable effort. That can easily disrupt routine visits, which distant or poor patients may skip rather than try to make. But those visits can spot conditions early, and when patients miss them, the issue can grow considerably more serious. Timely care of every patient is critical, even if that patient is far away or unable to travel.

Mobile health clinics provide one potential answer, as do doctors who can travel to visit their distant patients. In both cases, a medical-grade tablet PC is an invaluable tool for providing timely care. Tablets allow doctors to conduct diagnoses remotely and consult with experts who may be far away from the point of care. They also allow for diagnostic tools such as integrated barcode scanners to scan bloodwork, and even just access a patient’s electronic medical records (EMRs) without requiring travel. That, in turn, allows for more frequent care for such patients, while improving the quality of that care considerably.

Get the Diagnosis Swiftly with Point-of-Care Testing

The interoperability and integration provided by medical computers at point-of-care allows doctors to bring the full resources of their organization to bear very quickly. Data provided at point of care can be sent back to a hospital or lab instantly via a portable medical PC or tablet. That means that analysis on the patient’s condition can begin immediately, instead of having to wait for the data to arrive, and transmitted back to the patient just as quickly. That can include simple blood tests, photographs of wounds or similar injuries, respiratory tests, x-rays, and MRIs. Faster and more accurate diagnoses translate to swifter treatment and healthier patients.

Medical Carts with Hot Swap Batteries Enhance Portability

At point-of-care locations within a medical facility, medical carts provide an excellent means of providing first-rate treatment. They can be wheeled from bedside to bedside and moved anywhere the staff requires them: allowing doctors to pull up EMRs at point of care, nurses to dispense medication accurately, and more specific medical devices to reach patients more easily. They can also include security measures biometric sensors and RFID readers to ensure that only qualified personnel can access them.

One of the recurring difficulties with medical carts is the periodic need to recharge computers by plugging them in to an electrical outlet. Since hospitals and other care facilities often operate 24 hours a day, the periodic need to recharge mobile computers can severely affect point-of-care procedures. The solution is a computer with hot swap batteries, able to be removed and replaced “on the go” without the computer losing power. When combined with medical carts, it provides reliable 24/7 service without requiring downtime to recharge.

Cybernet Manufacturing offers a full line of medical grade computers and tablets ideally suited for point of care services. Contact us for more information.

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  • 5 Holland, Irvine, CA 92618, USA
  • Cybernet Manufacturing