Powered and Non-Powered Medical Carts: The Ultimate Guide

Medical carts, or Workstations on Wheels (WoW), allow healthcare providers and other medical staff members to transport medical-grade computers, peripheral devices, instruments, and medication to different locations in the hospital. This mobility streamlines many medical professionals’ workflow processes, giving the providers more flexibility in their work, reducing errors, and improving productivity.

Today’s blog compares two kinds of medical carts – powered and non-powered—and provides a detailed guide to help you decide which is best for you and your medical group’s needs.

Non-Powered Medical Carts

Non-powered medical carts comprise a wheeled mobile base, a central pole or shaft, and an attached large, flat work surface. Equipment like medical computers, monitors, and storage compartments can be mounted or attached to the cart. 

One advantage is that the lack of a battery makes non-powered carts considerably lighter than powered ones. Your staff will find them less tiring to push during their shifts. Non-powered carts save you thousands in the long run since you don’t have to worry about costly batteries or their replacements after they wear out.  

The lack of a power source on non-powered carts means you’ll have to find another way to power any medical equipment or device. Battery-powered “hot-swap” medical PCs and monitors are the most common option. Both come with built-in rechargeable batteries to power themselves and peripherals like barcode scanners and printers. You’ll have to train your staff to be diligent about swapping spent batteries with freshly charged ones. 

Non-powered medical carts are best used where a mobile desk is needed. Patient wards and ERs, which are busy 24/7, are good examples. Acting like a workstation desk, the cart’s ample work surface lets healthcare providers perform tasks like updating patient records via the computer’s keyboard and mouse, writing notes, or preparing medication. The cart’s light weight won’t strain the users, while its smaller footprint makes it easy to maneuver in tight quarters typically found in patient rooms and the OR. The hot-swap batteries also mean your staff will never need to experience downtime due to recharging batteries like powered medical carts. 

Powered Medical Carts

Powered medical carts, or WoWs, are similar to their non-powered counterparts. The key difference is the large battery positioned at a wheeled mobile base. 

The main advantage of powered WoWs is they are easy to use: place the cart at the desired location and plug it in. It’ll act like a stationary workstation, powering every device from a medical computer or monitor to any medical devices and peripherals. When the cart needs to be moved, like during rounds, you unplug it. Battery life varies, but most powered carts last 6 to 8 hours before recharging.

The disadvantages of powered carts all stem from the battery. First, it’s heavy, adding up to 40 lbs to the cart’s overall weight. That extra weight can strain users during their shifts and possibly cause long-term pain and injury. Second, recharging the battery usually takes 2-6 hours, making the powered cart useless as a mobile platform during that time. Finally, the battery is expensive, adding $2,000 to $3,000+ to the cart’s price tag. You’ll also have to replace the battery when it finally wears out, which is another significant expense. 

Powered medical carts are best used in areas in your hospital where mobility is wanted but not urgent. Less busy patient wards or long-term care facilities are two examples, as the staff doesn’t need to constantly push a cart to see the patients throughout the shift. Any location in a hospital where the powered carts can be left plugged in for long periods is also ideal.

Key Considerations for Buying

Now that you know the pros and cons of non-powered medical carts and powers, here are questions to ask yourself which one is right for your healthcare organization:

Assessing Healthcare Facility Needs

Why are medical carts needed in your medical facilities? Many providers and other medical personnel use carts to move from patient to patient and document their findings on electronic medical records (EMR). Others may use WoWs to administer drugs or conduct facility teleconference calls. 

If your staff will be performing duties that won’t regularly involve using powered medical devices or equipment, a non-powered cart (e.g., a patient table) is an excellent option. Even better, these WoWs can provide power if you change your mind later by equipping them with computers and monitors with swappable batteries. 

Where does your healthcare facility need the mobility of carts, and for which tasks? 

Scenario-Based Recommendations 

Where will the medical carts be located in the facilities? And how will they be used there? As a follow-up to the question above, consider the following:

Small clinics versus large hospitals: Smaller clinics, like urgent care centers, are open for a limited time or see few patients. They may need fewer carts or don’t need much mobility to move from patient to patient. A powered WoW may be all you need, especially if it’s placed near an outlet and rarely moved. 

Staff at large hospitals need multiple carts as medical personnel rapidly move between patients. Many hospital departments, like the emergency department, are also open 24/7. You can equip your hospitals with many powered carts to guarantee at least one is available for use while the others are charging (an expensive proposition) or use multiple non-powered carts powered by swappable batteries. The latter configuration is less costly, and all the carts can operate 24/7 as spent batteries are exchanged with freshly charged ones. 

Special care units: These departments range from the ICU to the operating theater (OR). Each has its own unique needs and requirements. ICUs and similar CCUs with few long-term patients may be best served by powered carts, as staff have the space to maneuver and the time to move between patients leisurely. Space is a premium in the OR, and a medical all-in-one or monitors with hot-swap batteries may be best for their smaller footprint and the ability to stay powered constantly, an essential factor during extended operations or back-to-back surgeries. 

Telehealth and telemedicine: Since 2020, remote communication between providers, patients, and other off-site personnel has become increasingly common. Use cases range from providers consulting experts in different cities or countries to patient families providing reassurance through video. While powered carts can provide such communication, they become unavailable for other providers and medical staff, such as when obtaining high-priority patient records and stat lab test results. Medical tablets, which are relatively plentiful in most hospitals, can be mounted on non-powered carts to provide remote communication and leave the other cart setups for more urgent tasks. 

Space and Mobility Requirements 

Take a walkabout with the medical personnel during their shifts. Is the travel long and full of frequent stops? Are the hallways narrow and full of obstacles like medical equipment? How easy is it to turn around in the corridors and rooms? Under such conditions, workers will quickly become fatigued while pushing a powered cart with its heavy and bulky battery. That could lead to more sick leave requests, injury, and burnout. 

Consider a non-powered cart with a medical computer as the solution to the above issues. Otherwise, the heavier and more bulky powered cart may be optimal if it moves sparingly.

Budget Constraints 

The better way to view this topic is how to get all the right features for your cart within your budget. Example: Instead of purchasing a costly powered cart for your medical computer, you could buy a less expensive, non-powered WoW and pair it with a medical panel PC with hot-swappable batteries. The combination costs less, weighs less, and can be used 24/7. You can even mount medical tablets with swappable batteries on the carts. They’re even lighter than medical computers and can be detached for greater mobility. 

Your medical computer equipment supplier can suggest even more budget-friendly configurations. 

Future-Proofing and Scalability

How easy will it be to order new carts as your medical group grows? You’ll be waiting longer for orders for powered carts, which require extensive modification to house the battery and power any attached devices and equipment. Non-powered carts are easier to manufacture and will arrive more quickly. 

Does your medical group only use one vendor for all its computer needs? You can repurpose all of them on non-powered carts as thin clients. A medical monitor with swappable batteries will provide the power. This configuration is a cheaper alternative to purchasing new computers from the vendor and powered carts to work with them. 

Factors Influencing Long-Term Satisfaction and Return on Investment

Given their costs, these last questions aim to determine which cart configurations meet your group’s needs.

Which cart is the most ergonomic? Medical personnel will be working with the carts throughout their shift. Do they find them easy to work with? For example, can they adjust the cart’s height for ease of use? Do they find it easy to move about throughout their entire shift? Or are they suffering from arm strain and neck pain? 

Is the cart reliable? Specifically, is it available to use when needed? Powered carts cannot be moved about while recharging their batteries. The computers and monitors with rechargeable batteries can continue to be used as fresh ones replace spent batteries.

Are there future costs? Due to high costs and limited budgets, healthcare organizations hold onto their equipment and devices as long as possible. The batteries on powered carts eventually run down and must be replaced, a costly expense. While the same applies to the rechargeable batteries used for medical computers and monitors, they cost much less, especially per unit, with some manufacturers offering battery replacement at significant discounts. 

Get the Right Type of Medical Cart for Your Facility

Powered and non-powered medical carts provide mobility to providers and medical staff, allowing greater flexibility and productivity, from updating patient EMRs to administering medications. Choosing which cart is best for one’s medical group depends on a variety of factors, including the advantages—and disadvantages—of a battery built onto the cart versus using alternatives like computers and monitors with hot-swappable battery capability. 

Contact the team at Cybernet Manufacturing if you and your healthcare facility are looking to answer these questions and more. Team members are well-versed in the features of the two carts and the medical-grade monitors and tablets that work with them. They’ll find the best combination for your group’s needs and budget, including available custom work, since Cybernet is an Original Equipment and Design Manufacturer.

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