Technical Articles & Industry Trends

Improving Quality Outcomes Through Medically Certified Computer Hardware

Often times in the medical field, computer hardware is overlooked. In the case of quality outcomes, overlooking computer hardware can have a dramatic impact. According to a recent HBR article, illegible handwriting and misinterpreted verbal orders from physicians resulted in 50% of incorrect or confusing orders at a Seattle based medical center. After implementing EMR processes, they drastically corrected all orders to nearly 100% overnight.

Healthcare IT professionals know that switching to digital adoption increases quality outcomes, but they also have to consider what equipment that “digital adoption” rests on. All medical equipment is important for quality care, but the computers used to run medical equipment and software play an essential role for quality outcomes.  Healthcare computers provide the platform for most medical technologies and processes. Having the right computers should be a fundamental consideration in working toward quality outcomes.

The type of computer you use corresponds to the type of care you can give.  Quality outcomes correspond to quality-oriented choices.

A medically certified computer allows you to provide higher quality. Here are few examples of how choosing the right healthcare hardware results in quality outcomes as outlined on the U.S Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. 

Structural Measures of Quality Outcomes:

Adoption of EMR

• Better ability to meet security requirements. EMR on medically certified computers brings the advantage of security. Teguar medical computers have TPM2.0 installed, and can have other security options such as fingerprint readers and limited viewing angles. Built-in security features make it easier to keep up with EMR security standards.
• Less downtime.  Teguar medical computers are made with industrial grade components which are made to run 24/7. Having a highly reliable computer means consistency and ease of use for EMR.

Adoption of Medication Order Entry

• Traditional consumer grade computers do not have features such as barcode scanners and customized accessories. Teguar’s medical tablets and computers have an optional built-in 1D/2D barcode scan engine which allows physicians to compare a barcode on the patient’s wristband with the label affixed to medication. This validates that the right patient receives the right medication.

Process Measures:

Percentage of People Receiving Services

• Convivence is time-saving. Teguar Medical Computers have things such as nurse call buttons and the ability to pause the screen for wipe down - eliminating time spent to shut down and restart. Every feature on a medical computer has been designed for the healthcare environment. The right medical computer can increase the amount of people receiving service though streamlining small steps in the caregiving journey.

Time frame of People Receiving Services

• Mobile medical computing solutions give caregivers the ability to provide healthcare wherever they go.  Treatment can be given and recorded at many places outside of healthcare facilities. Triage can be done easily in the waiting room if needed, mobility increases potential for responsive service delivery.

Outcome Measures:

Percentage of Patients Who Died as a Result of Surgery (surgical mortality rates)

• Most surgical procedures rely on computers for monitoring and/or displaying camera images. Having HD displays with high grade graphics processors aids the surgeon in accuracy. The 4KV isolation insures there are no electrical surges which interfere with equipment connected to the patient.

Rate of Surgical Complications or Hospital-Acquired Infections.

• Consumer PCs cannot be kept as clean as medical computers. Just simply disinfecting a non-IP rated device can damage electronic components and even the units housing.
• Teguar medical computers have a special anti-bacterial coating that vastly reduces the spread of infection from one of the most used items – touch screen computers.
• A good medical computer design will have less crevices’ and limited physical locations for hospital debris to build up.

Selecting a medical grade computer designed with high quality materials and having the latest medical certificates, which you will not find in any consumer grade device, improves quality outcomes. IT staff can easily select and integrate computers into surgical rooms or out-patient care facilities to prevent downtime and bring a smooth process flow 24/7 in the hospital.

Check out the TM-5510-22 Medical Cart Computer built for 24/7 operation, as it has built-in hot-swappable batteries and has passed the most rigorous medical tests.