Computer monitors are vital to healthcare, with medical staff relying on the information they display in everything from diagnoses to treatment plans.
To ensure no interruptions, healthcare IT has turned to medical-grade monitors, as they've been built to be clear and readable while still handling healthcare's unique needs and requirements.
- Medical-Grade Monitors: What to Expect
- Different Types of Medical-Grade Monitors
- Benefits of Medical-Grade Monitors
- Selecting the Right Medical-Grade Monitor
Medical-Grade Monitors: What to Expect
So, what exactly is a medical-grade monitor? Simply, it's a computer display built and certified as IEC 60601 and thus safe for use around patients and medical devices. Off-the-shelf consumer monitors have no such build or certifications. Many medical-grade monitors also have features designed to handle the unique conditions of hospitals and similar medical facilities.
Different Types of Medical-Grade Monitors
Medical-grade monitors have many purposes and uses throughout healthcare. Thus, they can have different hardware and software despite looking the same. Some of the more common types include:
Diagnostic Imaging Medical-Grade Monitors
Used by the radiology department and similar specialties. High resolution and precise color reproduction are essential for these medical-grade monitors as they're used for hard-to-detect conditions like breast cancer. They must also be built metal-free to be used safely near MRI machines.
Surgical Medical-Grade Monitors
Found in operating theaters and similar rooms. Images must be clear and highly detailed, as many operations are too small to see with the naked eye (example: colonoscopies). Those same images must also be visible despite the glare and reflections from bright surgical lighting.
Patient Medical-Grade Monitoring Displays
Used to display a patient's vital signs, like body temperature and pulse. They must be clear and easily readable, as providers and other medical personnel use the data to evaluate patients and update their electronic healthcare records properly.
Clinical Review Medical-Grade Monitors
Located wherever patient readouts and images are displayed continuously and in real-time. Such data must be clear and easy to read. These monitors are very common in cardiology, pathology, and – of course – radiology.
Workstation on Wheels (WoW) Medical-Grade Monitor
WoWs and computer carts allow providers, nurses, and other healthcare personnel to travel from patient to patient and provide point-of-care service. Besides displaying clear and readable images, medical-grade monitors on WoWs should be rugged enough to handle the constant jostling and bumping from so much traveling.
Battery-Powered Medical Display
These medical-grade monitors are powered by rechargeable batteries. Mounted on a WoW, they are both a display and a power source for thin client PCs and accessories. The batteries are hot-swappable, allowing users to exchange spent ones for new batteries without shutting the entire thing down. This makes them ideal for 24/7 usage.
Benefits of Medical-Grade Monitors
Medical-grade monitors have been built from the ground up for the hospital setting and similar facilities. These provide benefits such as:
- Ensure Patient Safety - As previously mentioned, medical-grade monitors are certified not to harm patients or disrupt nearby medical devices.
- High Image Quality - The color accuracy, luminance, brightness, and calibration of healthcare displays are tuned to provide the high-resolution and quality images providers need. For example, some monitors can display up to 65,536 shades of gray for specific exams needed by radiologists.
- Regulatory Compliance - Medical monitors should meet the Digital Imaging and Communications (DICOM) standard (ISO 12052). This means they're certified to display images consistently regardless of the computer used or the monitor's graphic card.
- Durability and Reliability - Medical facilities like hospitals are open 24/7. Computer monitors must function reliably under such conditions, which is something consumer-grade monitors are not built to do.
- Hygiene Concern - Hospital staff spend excessive time and effort to keep their facilities germ-free. IP65-rated medical-grade computer monitors are sealed to protect the delicate interior from harsh cleaning materials.
Selecting the Right Medical-Grade Monitor
So, what should healthcare IT look for when purchasing medical-grade monitors? Important points to think about include:
- How will the medical-grade monitor be used? For example: Will the monitor be used to review images to aid in patient diagnosis? Or pull up EMR records or the patient's vitals in real time? Remember, each department uses its medical displays differently. Even issues like screen glare may need to be considered (as in the case of surgical monitors).
- What is your budget? Medical-grade monitors are more costly than off-the-shelf brands. That price tag can rise if they have even more requirements, like displays used in MRI labs. On the other hand, they have a better ROI as they're built to last longer than consumer models.
- Can it work with outdated medical equipment and devices? Many hospitals and other medical facilities run legacy devices: older hardware and software that are no longer supported by their original vendor but still vital to their customers’ operations. Your medical-grade monitors should have legacy ports to connect with them.
- What is the vendor’s support? Finally, consider where you buy your medical-grade monitors. Resellers give you a greater selection of models, while original equipment manufacturers offer only their products. On the other hand, you'll find OEMs far more open to negotiating prices, customizing features, and providing support since they have complete control over such factors.
Meeting Your Medical-Grade Monitor Needs with Cybernet Manufacturing
Today's providers rely on monitors for everything from reviewing electronic health records to viewing surgeries deep inside the bowls of patients. Image quality is thus paramount and must be clear and readable even under the sometimes hostile conditions common in hospitals and other medical facilities. Healthcare has turned to medical-grade monitors as the solution, as they’ve been built from the inside out to handle such challenges.
Contact a Cybernet team professional if you're looking for medical-grade monitors for your healthcare group. They'll be happy to review the numerous advantages: failure rates below 0.5 percent, military-grade standard components, an extended lifecycle, and a 3-to-5-year warranty. As an OEM, Cybernet can customize virtually any component if our pre-built models don't meet your exact wants and needs.