What Is a Telemedicine Point-of-Care Cart?

Telemedicine point-of-care carts enable healthcare providers to connect with and treat patients without being physically present. They are equipped with HIPAA-compliant audio and two-way video conferencing capabilities, a touchscreen, wireless connectivity, and a backup battery. This cart has wheels so it can be transported easily from room to room, and some even have remote control capabilities. This is not to be confused with patient communication boards, which you can learn about on our site here.

Telemedicine point-of-care carts can be used in in-patient or out-patient settings to diagnose and treat patients safely but still engagingly. Because the healthcare providers operate remotely, specialists or other providers in other states or even countries can participate in a patient’s care. The cart has the ability to transmit all patient health data from a visit to the appropriate database. From there, staff can send the relevant data to any providers who need it.

What Are Telemedicine Point-of-Care Cart Benefits?

Saving Time and Money

Perhaps the most obvious telemedicine point-of-care cart benefit is that of saving both time and money. Healthcare providers do not have to leave their offices, or sometimes even their homes to provide quality care. And patients do not have to unnecessarily travel to a clinic or hospital for appointments. This is particularly helpful for patients who do not have the time or resources to travel for appointments and who would otherwise forgo important care or screenings altogether.

Because telemedicine carts have their own schedules and patient-provider matching software, call center staff are not needed in this situation. Physician shortages are more easily addressed when patient-provider pairings are more flexible. Patients who receive telehealth care are less likely to need readmission to a hospital because they are being closely monitored in their aftercare practices. Additionally, telemedicine carts can use specialized webcams and sensors to send information in real-time to specialists and/or providers at other practices involved in a patient’s care. This makes holistic care of a patient between providers and practices much more efficient and convenient for everyone involved.

Reducing the Spread of Germs

Telemedicine point-of-care carts were (and still are) essential in providing care and reducing the spread of COVID-19. First of all, only very sick patients need to come in for care. Secondly, patients who do come in can be assessed remotely from another room, reducing the spread of infection and illness. Providers save time and PPE by not needing to suit up to diagnose or treat every patient. These carts contain peripherals for taking temperature, monitoring vitals, and scanning barcodes, serving to further reduce unnecessary contact between patients and staff.

In practice, a staff member could transport a telemedicine cart into a sick patient’s room, connect the patient to any necessary vital monitoring equipment, and then leave and disinfect themselves right away. Then a nurse or doctor would appear on video conferencing and talk to the patient about their symptoms while reviewing their vitals in real-time. Some tasks like inserting IVs or catheters still need to be performed by a provider, but telemedicine carts still drastically reduce unnecessary patient/provider contact, therefore limiting the spread of any kind of germ or illness, not just COVID-19.

Improving Patient Satisfaction

Another equally important telemedicine point-of-care cart benefit is the improvement of patient satisfaction. The increased satisfaction that patients experience as a result of telemedicine point-of-care carts relates to the reasons outlined above. While telemedicine carts offer face-to-face contact, the remote nature makes both patients and providers feel safe, as it limits the spread of germs. Telemedicine limits wait times in both in- and out-patient settings and increases points of care and quality of care. Patients have the option to see their providers remotely, whether in their own offices or at home. This increased flexibility benefits working parents, people with special needs or disabilities, and patients in rural places with limited transportation options. Together, all of these factors lead to increased satisfaction from patients.

Improving Provider Satisfaction and Comfort

Another telemedicine point-of-care cart benefit is the increased comfort and convenience for healthcare providers. These carts provide a comfortable workstation for providers to video conference with patients and other colleagues, view medical images and records, and provide quality care to telehealth patients. Dual monitors and standing desk options provide optimal comfort for providers working long days and seeing many patients. They can work sitting or standing and can view records, images, or videos side by side with no interruptions. The many levels, keyboard, and monitor options available for these carts present providers with the flexibility they need to be as comfortable and efficient as possible during the workday.

Haverford Has a Healthcare Solution for You

The telemedicine point-of-care cart benefits are significant not only for the reasons mentioned above but because these carts can be integrated with a remotely controlled PTZOptics video conferencing camera. PTZOptics cameras can be operated remotely from almost anywhere in the world and are used for broadcasting high-definition video signals from an operating room, room-to-room conferencing, telehealth visits, and offsite video broadcasts. These high-definition cameras are the key feature of telemedicine point-of-care carts.

Do you want to learn more about Haverford’s healthcare delivery solutions? Visit our website.