Fixed vs. Mobile EHR Workstations (pt 4): Consider Medication Delivery
Welcome back to our five-part blog series discussing the major factors hospitals should consider when purchasing new EHR workstations for nurses to chart patient information. Part four focuses on bedside medication delivery. Read the overview of all factors to consider in part one, our blog on capital and operational expenses in part two, and our explanation about flexibility and availability in part three.
Bedside medication delivery methods play a big role in whether to choose a fixed or mobile solution. In order to reduce errors or patient risk in medication administration, nurses employ the traditional Five Rights of Medication Administration: the right patient, the right drug, the right dose, the right route, and the right time. These rights are incredibly important, but so is the method of transportation from where medication is securely stored to the patient room.
Most workstations, whether fixed or mobile, have a barcode scanner to verify the five rights, but a fixed unit does not provide secure transfer from the automatic dispensing cabinet in the med room to a patient’s bedside. That means nurses must go back and forth to the med room between each patient visit when making rounds to dispense medications. This adds a lot of extra walking to an already busy and demanding shift. A lack in secure transfer could also become a liability for a hospital should theft occur.
A mobile medication workstation, however, enhances efficiency and security. At Enovate, we provide a secure bedside delivery solution that allows for consolidation of medications into one mobile workstation while keeping each patient’s medications in a separate compartment. This streamlines medication delivery and enhances the patient experience by allowing nurses to make fewer trips to the med room and spend more face-to-face time with the individuals they’re caring for. The mobile medication workstation increases flexibility, especially when a nurse is performing a med pass and going room to room until all medications have been administered. Our workstations have important features like electronic locks with keypad entry and time-out alarms that help detect and remind the nurse of unsecured meds. These security measures help prevent theft or misuse, reducing hospital liability.
Enovate Medical understands that every hospital needs a mix of fixed and mobile solutions to enhance workflow and patient care. We take time with our clients, working directly with nurses and IT professionals, to conduct a thorough clinical device assessment (CDA). In doing so, our clients have lowered their overall capital outlay and reduced their operational expenses. Most importantly, they’ve achieved more consistent real-time charting in the presence of the patient, a primary goal of the EHR implementation.
Contact us today for your comprehensive clinical device assessment.