Wall Mounted Computers
Most hospitals were built prior to the advent of electronic health records (EMR_Definition). As healthcare professionals spend a significant portion of their time performing computerized tasks [1], placing a computer in the patient’s room may increase the amount of time that healthcare providers spend with their patients. Since most hospitals weren’t designed to include computers at the point of care, finding the appropriate space to place the computers can be quite challenging.
One solution to placing computers in the patient’s room is via wall mounted computers. Other solutions, discussed separately, include laptop computers (Laptop_Computers), tablet computers (Tablet_Computers), handheld computers (Handheld_Computers), and computers on wheels (Mobile_Computers).
Computer wall mounts in hospitals are usually performed in one of two ways: articulating arms, or cabinets.
Articulating arms typically have a place to mount the monitor, keyboard, and CPU, and depending on the configuration, may have the ability to independently adjust the height and angle of the monitor and keyboard. Articulating arms are less expensive than cabinets, but provide less security for the electronic equipment. Articulating arms may take up less space than cabinets and may allow users more options to place the computer while in use. A sample image of an articulating arm intended for hospital use is included here: Sample Articulating Arm [2]
Cabinets are a more elegant solution to providing bedside computers, but can be significantly more expensive. Cabinets may be designed to include storage for additional items such as bedside barcode scanners, basic supplies, or even medications. Depending on the configuration of the patient room, cabinets may force a user to have his back to the patient while using the computer. A sample image of an articulating arm intended for hospital use is included here: Sample Cabinet [2]
There are many vendors which sell computer wall mounts in a wide variety of configurations. It is important to install several options in actual patient rooms to receive stakeholder feedback prior to widespread implementation.
1. Hendrich, Ann, Marilyn Chow, Boguslaw Skierczynski, and Zhenqiang Lu. "A 36-Hospital Time and Motion Study: How Do Medical-Surgical Nurses Spend Their Time?." The Permanente Journal 12.3 (2008): 25-33. 2. http://www.hospitalwallmount.com/
Submitted by Timothy Hill
