Medical computers by Tangent are also Antimicrobial computers

The Importance Of Antimicrobial Medical PCs

We all like to think of hospitals as places in society where people go to get healthier, and for the most part this is true. However, this is not always the case as hospitals can inadvertently become breeding grounds for harmful diseases. The CDC estimates that each and every day, 1 in 31 hospitals will see a healthcare-associated infection (HAI).

Coinciding with a decrease in the viability of antibiotics, HAIs can turn hospitals into hazardous areas for those who are prone to infection. Often, these same individuals are the ones most in need of a hospital’s services. So what can be done?

Antimicrobial Computers Offer A Compelling Solution

While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to HAIs, antimicrobial computers offer one way to minimize the risk of such infections from occurring. Antimicrobial computers are medical computers that are coated with an antimicrobial treatment. This coating causes the medical computer to be deadly to harmful bacteria, much like how the natural properties of copper make the metal germ-phobic. Typically, every medical computer is an antimicrobial computer, but it is important to check beforehand if this is the case. Luckily, at Tangent all of our medical computers are antimicrobial computers and UL60601-Certified.

Are Antimicrobial Computers Safe?

Antimicrobial computers are not only safe, they are some of the safest medical computers out there. Their antimicrobial coating prevents bacteria from breeding and growing on the medical computer’s surface without being harmful to doctors and patients. Antimicrobial computers are perfectly safe to touch, which is one of the reasons why Tangent’s lineup of medical grade computers are all touchscreen enabled. This allows doctors to use these antimicrobial computers without worrying about the bacteria on their hands. Unlike computers reliant on mice and keyboards, antimicrobial medical computers will not become breeding grounds for bacteria.

Are Antimicrobial Computers Easy To Clean?

Not only are antimicrobial computers easy to clean, they are built to be cleaned! While other computers and computer monitors require specialty cleaning agents in order to not be damaged, antimicrobial medical computers are able to be cleaned with traditional cleaning supplies. Regular cleaning does not remove the antimicrobial coating either, ensuring that these medical computers last well past their warranty. What’s more, antimicrobial computers mitigate the growth of harmful bacteria on their surface, meaning that with a cleaning they become nearly germ free.

Antimicrobial Computers: Reduce Your HAIs

If reducing the amount of HAIs in your hospital is a priority, then antimicrobial medical computers may be the solution you are looking for. These advanced medical computers come in various sizes and styles, and can quickly and easily become an indispensable tool for your facility.

 

How To Better Use Your Medical Grade Computer

How To Prevent Critical Electronic Health Records Mistakes

There’s no doubt that medical grade computers have made hospitals safer, more productive environments to treat patients. From their antimicrobial coating which mitigates the growth of nosocomial infection causing bacteria to their robust IP certified water resistance, medical grade computers have made a lasting impact on the quality of care provided to patients.

 

Sadly, the same cannot always be said about the software running on these devices. The misuse of medical software such as Electronic Health Records (EHR) can lead to shockingly wrong results. While neither the fault of the software or medical grade computer, mishaps by untrained medical staff using such tools can lead to dangerous outcomes. Here are a few tips to help medical staff prevent errors while using software on their medical grade computers.

 

Be Aware Of Default Settings On Your Electronic Health Record Program

Every EHR program running on a medical grade computer is different, but many have the same features. One similarity that goes unnoticed is their use of default settings and inputs for entry fields. Just like how a website may have a random date filled in for your birthday when signing up, some EHR programs have default numbers filled in for various entry fields. A default drug measurement setting may be present on your EHR program, either by the software provider or your IT department. Make sure that both you and your medical staff are aware of this , as it is entirely possible that they assume the default measurement is correct, and accidentally mis-prescribe a patient.

 

In addition, an unclear medication list present on your EHR program can similarly lead to mis-prescriptions. Medication lists that are hard to read, uninformative, or lack dosing information can lead to medical staff assuming that they are prescribing the correct dosage while in fact doing the opposite. 

 

Train Your Medical Staff Rigorously

EHR programs running on medical grade computers are meant to aid physicians and medical staff, not harm them. While there are problems with these programs, they come from a lack of knowledge and training surrounding the programs. Educate your staff on the presence of default drug measurements, and have your IT department update the default setting to a nonviable integer (such as 0) if possible. Creating a detailed medication list that is both informative and easy to read can also greatly improve EHR usability on medical grade computers. Above all, make sure your staff is regularly refreshed on how to use their EHR program and medical grade computer to their full potential.

 

Avoid Critical Mistakes

Mistakes in the hospital carry consequences not seen in any other sector, and should be avoided at all costs. Making sure that your medical staff is trained to the fullest extent on the use of EHR programs is crucial to providing quality care to patients. Medical technology has always been a force for good, and it is important to treat EHR programs as the medical tools that they are.

How Medical Tablets Can Help Increase Your Efficiency In The Hospital

Boosting Efficiency In Your Hospital

While not every healthcare provider is excited about the transition from paper health records to electronic health records (EHR), the amount of time saved by this transition cannot be ignored. When paired with medical tablets, the use of EHRs in the hospital is exponentially faster, allowing medical staff to instantly access patient information wherever they are in the hospital.

 

In fact, 74% of hospitals that utilize medical tablets to collect patient information are more efficient than hospitals that do not according to a Harris Poll commissioned by Ricoh Americas Corporation. In nearly 3 out of 4 hospitals, the use of medical tablets greatly increased efficiency, and it’s easy to see why.

 

Paper Free, Stress Free

Among those surveyed, 77% said that hospital work entails too much paperwork, which cuts into time spent with patients. In an age where the doctor-patient face time is declining, paperwork serves as a barrier between doctors and their real job: helping patients. Without the hassle of creating, editing, and keeping track of paper health records, doctors are able to spend more time with patients, and potentially have more visits in one day. Medical tablets can help alleviate the stress doctors face in the hospital setting, allowing them instant access to EHRs anywhere in the facility. 

 

Clean and Easy

In addition to being slow, paper health records also hold the potential of being breeding grounds for dangerous bacteria responsible for nosocomial infections. Unless every paper touched by medical staff routinely goes under a U.V. light, it’s safe to say these archaic records are anything but clean. Medical tablets are 60601-1 Medical certified and feature an antimicrobial coating which mitigates the growth of harmful bacteria on their surfaces. This allows doctors to focus on their patients without worrying about the potential spread of bacteria. 

 

Medical tablets are also IP65 rated for water and dust resistance, making them both easy to clean and long lasting. With the combination of water resistance and their antimicrobial coatings, medical tablets make the perfect companion for doctors seeing patients with the flu or other spreadable illnesses.

 

The Patient’s Choice

85% of survey respondents said they feel more comfortable in hospitals deploying the latest technology in their healthcare. Medical tablets are on the bleeding edge of medical technology, and their applications in the hospital are growing every day. EHRs are just the beginning, medical tablets can be used in many of the same scenarios that medical computers are used in while also being mobile.

 

An astonishing 60% of respondents said they would rather spend time on the internet attempting to self diagnose a non-life threatening illness than deal with the paperwork associated with going to the hospital. Cutting back on the amount of paperwork in your hospital is crucial to giving patients adequate healthcare, and medical tablets offer a promising alternative.

Medical Tablets

The Importance Of Digital Health Records

In no other field is staying on the edge of technology as important as it is in the medical field. Each day, new advances in medical technology are helping people live longer, happier lives. While some technology can assist in diagnosing, patient care, or even surgery, we should not overlook the clerical side of technology that is making hospital paperwork far more efficient. 

 

According to a study commissioned by Phillips on future health, 80% of medical professionals have shared information electronically and 76% utilize digital health records (DHRs) on their medical grade PCs. However, despite this large DHR utilization, only 57% report that having full access to a patient’s DHR has positively impacted them. With the disparity between these two statistics, it’s important to address the lack of enthusiasm surrounding the widespread implementation of DHR use.

 

Ditch The Pen And Paper

While DHRs are quickly becoming the de facto method of patient information storage, sometimes vital information is left out unintentionally. When doctors take pen and paper notes, or rely on scribes to take notes for them, they create valuable insight into a patient’s life. What they eat, their allergies, their daily routines; all things that can directly affect their health. However, there is no guarantee that these hard copy notes will ever be digitized, and potentially life saving details can be left out of the DHR. Encourage your medical staff to fully utilize their medical grade PC when taking notes to ensure that all patient information is digitized. Many medical grade PCs and medical panel PCs come equipped with a front facing camera, so in the event a staff member does write down crucial information, it can be easily added to the patient’s DHR.

 

Easy Information Access

While professional medical staff may find DHRs easy to use when they have them, they may be off put by how difficult they are to find. Medical panel PCs with smartcard readers and RFID technology can rectify this problem by allowing professional medical staff to safely and securely store the pathing to patient information, without having to worry about memorizing the correct way to get to the patient’s information. The same smartcard technology can be used to allow professional medical staff to login to their medical panel PC or medical grade PC without having to remember a long and complex password, saving them from a potential headache and call to I.T. The RFID technology utilized by medical grade PC’s can also be used to track medical equipment that is shuffled around the hospital, allowing for every item to be accounted for.

 

Ease Of Access

It’s no secret that some people are averse to technology, but that does not mean we can’t make them more comfortable with it in the workplace. Medical panel PCs are medical grade PCs that feature a sleek, all in one design. That means that they can function as fully fledged medical grade PCs without needing a bulky tower, keyboard, mouse, or separate monitor. Simply plug them in, and they are good to go. The simplicity of medical panel PCs’ design and their robust features such as smartcard readers and RFID technology means that they are sure to raise professional medical staff’s mood towards the digital side of their job. Medical grade PCs are built for the medical world, and can make medical staff’s use of DHRs far more positive.

Emergency Services Benefit From Medical Tablets

Emergency Services Benefit From Medical Tablets

The fires ravaging California are a grim reminder that the world as we know it is changing, in part, due to climate change. According to the Fourth National Climate Assessment, we can expect the acreage burned by wildfires to increase on a yearly basis as the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere increases. As these wildfires get bigger, so too does the medical threat they impose. From asthma to burns, wildfires can affect patient health in numerous ways. Keeping your hospital up to date with the latest medical tablets can help ensure that your hospital is ready for the mobile care needed when a fire erupts.

medical tablet
                                                  Tangent Medix M8

When a wildfire ignites, urgent care may be needed in multiple places at once. While the priority may be to always get patients to the hospital as quickly as possible, sometimes this is just not possible. Medical tablets help fill in the gap when larger medical computers are not available for use, such as in the field during an emergency. Like medical computers, medical tablets have features that better suit them for use around patients than typical commercial tablets. Medical tablets, like the M8 8-inch Medical Tablet from Tangent, are 60601-1 Medical Certified for use around patients and sensitive electronics. This makes them ideal for emergency situations, when the last thing emergency personnel should be worrying about is if their equipment is safe for use around patients.

Medical Tablet PC
                                              Tangent’s Medix T13 Medical Tablet PC

Medical tablets can also aid your medical personnel, and emergency services, keep track of patient information to be uploaded once staff return to the hospital. Medical tablets like the T13 Medical Tablet from Tangent come equipped with both front and rear facing cameras, allowing emergency medical personnel to take pictures of patient injuries for use later. This feature is complemented by the T13’s anti-reflective screen, allowing for it to be used outside without eye strain. In addition, the T13 comes with hot-swap battery technology, allowing for it to be used around the clock without needing to sit out to charge. Medical staff can simply swap out a dead battery for a charged one, keeping the T13 ready at all times during an emergency.

 

Wide scale emergencies may sadly be a fact of life due to climate change. Being prepared to help the communities they serve should be at the top of every hospital’s priorities, and that means assisting victims of wildfires as soon as possible. Medical tablets allow medical personnel and emergency services the full use of medical computers on the go, and can help these forces better aid those in need.

Medical Tablets

Medical Staff Love Medical Tablets

These days, it seems rare for groups to be able to find common ground, let alone fully agree on an issue. However, a recent study has shown that over 90% of medical staff comprised of individuals at various levels surveyed felt their institution should support tablet integration in their hospitals and clinics. The survey asked resident trainees, fellowship level trainees, and attending level physicians across various medical fields multiple questions regarding the use of medical tablets. One thing is certain: Medical staff want to use medical tablets, and they are ready.

medical tablet
Tangent MedixM8

Medical tablets, simply put, are computer tablets designed for use in the medical setting. They are touchscreen computers that run the ever familiar and easy to use Windows operating system. Medical tablets like the M8 Medical tablet from Tangent have a small form factor, and are as easy for medical staff to use as their own personal cell phones. 

 

The biggest difference between medical tablets and commercial tablets is that medical tablets are designed to be 60601-1 certified for medical use. This allows them to be used in close proximity to both patients and medical equipment without worry. What’s more, medical tablets have an antimicrobial coating that mitigates the growth of bacteria on the tablet’s surfaces. This is extremely important for tablets used in the medical setting, as they are constantly changing hands throughout the day.

medical tablet
Tangent MedixT13

The study showed that even 90% of medical staff who did not own tablets at home felt as though their medical institution should have them. Medical tablets like the T13 from Tangent simply make the hospital work life easier and more efficient. With hot-swap batteries, the T13 does not need to sit out of commision while it charges, instead it can simply have its battery replaced and be ready to help patients in seconds.

 

With such a positive response to medical tablets, it’s a wonder why more medical institutions do not adopt them in their daily use. Medical tablets are a homerun with medical staff, and are just one way to increase morale around the hospital or clinic. 

antimicrobial medical computers

Preventing Nosocomial Infections

What Is a Nosocomial Infection?

Infections occurring while a person is being treated in a hospital are considered nosocomial infections. Nosocomial infections are of great concern to hospitals, governments, and medical personnel alike as they can have a vast impact on the quality of healthcare provided. Infections such as Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Clostridium difficile are common Nosocomial infections which are bolstered by increasing antibiotic resistance. Curbing the spread of nosocomial infections is critical to not only providing safe patient care, but halting the growth of superbug bacteria.

 

What Can Be Done?

While the prospect of antibiotic resistant superbugs seems bleak, it is not too late to make changes in your hospital to better combat the growth of such bacteria. One such way is replacing surfaces in your hospital that are prone to bacteria growth with antimicrobial surfaces. An antimicrobial surface is a surface that either naturally or artificially inhibits the growth of bacteria on its surface. A study published by the United Kingdom government found, “Antimicrobial coatings represent innovation in response to an impending healthcare challenge that is unprecedented.”

 

Without a doubt, some of the surfaces most prone to bacteria build up are the ones you are interacting with right now to read this article. Medical tablets, PCs, and Monitors are incredibly susceptible to bacteria growth. Devices like medical tablets can be expected to be used by multiple medical staff throughout the day, each interacting with patients throughout the day. This can lead to multiple bacteria strains occupying the screen, mouse, and keyboard of your medical devices. 

 

Luckily, antimicrobial surfaces have found their way into the production of medical equipment, and today most medical tablets and PCs feature antimicrobial enclosures. These enclosures ensure that medical tablets can be exchanged by medical staff throughout the day without the worry of infection spread. The screens on both medical tablets and medical all-in-one PCs are also IP rated to be water resistant, allowing them to be regularly cleaned. 

 

Antimicrobial Surfaces: The Right Choice

Whether it’s a medical tablet being passed around from nurse to nurse, or a medical all-in-one PC being used by a single doctor: making sure that your hospitals devices have antimicrobial surfaces is crucial to reducing the spread of nosocomial infections.

Medical Computers Redundancy

Preparing Your Hospital For Hurricanes And Other Natural Disasters

While we tend not to think of worst case scenarios, it is important that we are prepared for them. Natural disasters are inherently unpredictable, and it is up to individuals and organizations to be prepared when disaster strikes. Unfortunately, we may not be as prepared as we would like to think. According to the National Health Security Preparedness Index, which measures health protections from numerous sources, the United States is not as adequately prepared for wide scale health emergencies as we should be. The Index rates the United States at a 6.7 out of 10, and while this score has increased from previous years, the rate at which it is growing is slowing. Worse, healthcare delivery was rated at a mere 4.9 out of 10. 

 

What Can Be Done?

In emergency situations, hospitals must be fully prepared to render aid to any and all affected. After all, communities cannot rebuild and return to normalcy when the populace is isn’t healthy. Ensuring that your hospital is ready for natural disasters is crucial to your community’s peace of mind. It is vital that doctors, nurses, and medical staff are able to be relied on in times of crisis, as their services are crucial to preventing natural disasters from turning into health crises. A recent study by American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) surveyed a group of 247 doctors and found that 93 percent believed their hospitals were not fully prepared to deal with large patient influxes due to disasters. Making sure that your medical personnel have the right equipment to handle large patient influxes such as those occurring in natural disasters is just as important.

 

Choosing The Right Equipment.

Disaster can strike at any time, and while hurricanes can be tracked, they cannot be stopped. It’s a fact that America’s power infrastructure is decaying, and relying on traditional wall outlets in an emergency could lead to serious medical consequences. Making sure your medical equipment can operate for extended periods without relying on the power grid is crucial to making sure your hospital is prepared for disasters.

 

Traditional desktop computers rely on external uninterrupted power supplies (UPS) for emergency power. These are fine, but require floor space and IT monitoring and setup, and cannot be moved in an emergency. Medical all-in-one PCs are touchscreen enabled computers that can feature hot-swap battery technology, allowing them to act as their own UPS. Tangent’s lineup of medical all-in-one PCs features PCs that are capable of running off battery power without being plugged into walls. This allows them to be mobile computers, going wherever they are needed. Medical Tablets are also battery operated, and just as capable as traditional computers. Medical Tablets can serve as on-the-go medical PCs in disaster scenarios, allowing doctors to treat and track numerous patients at a time. In search and rescue operations, medical tablets are portable enough to serve first responders without inhibiting their mission. Having medical tablets on standby is just one way to prepare your hospital for natural disasters.

 

Serving The Community.

A hospitals priority should be to serve the public’s health everyday, including days when disaster is unfolding. Allocating Medical all-in-one PCs and medical tablets are just two of the ways that your hospital can better prepare itself for the inevitable. 

 

Medical All-In-One PCs

Tangent’s medical all-in-one PCs are built for 24/7 use in the hospital setting. Our line of medical all-in-one PCs are highly customizable to fit your workplace needs, and are designed with physician and patient safety and hygiene in mind.

Tangent Medix T24B
Tangent Medix T24B

 

IP65 Sealed and Protected

Tangent’s medical all-in-one PCs like the Medix T24B are IP65 certified water resistant. This allows the surface of the medical all-in-one PC to be easily cleaned without worry about damage. This sealing also prevents harmful bacteria growth in the cracks between the casing and screen, reducing the risk of interhospital disease spread. 

 

Medix C24
Medix C24

 

Long Lifecycle

Every medical all-in-one PC built by Tangent is designed to perform as efficiently as possible for as long as possible. The Medix C24 is a medical all-in-one PC that greatly exemplifies this, featuring a future-proof Intel I7 processor and up to 32 gigabytes of RAM. The requirements of a medical all-in-one PC vary from room to room, but with Tangent computers you won’t have to worry about being unable to run the latest healthcare programs. When expansion is needed, our medical all-in-one PCs feature PCIE expansion slots as well as multiple I/O slots to ensure that they are able to be used well into the future.

 

Medix E22B
Medix E22B

 

Medically Certified

Every medical all-in-one PC used in healthcare is required to meet UL/EN 60601 standards for electrical safety. Every medical PC created by Tangent meets these standards, and are guaranteed to be safe for use around patients and sensitive medical equipment. This enables medical all-in-one PCs like the Medix E22B to take full advantage of its hot-swap battery technology and be used on a constant basis without worry for physician’s or patient’s safety.

 

 

Tangent Medix T22B
Tangent Medix T22B

 Antimicrobial Enclosure

Mitigating the spread of diseases in hospitals is not only a top priority for hospitals themselves, but for Tangent as well. We strive to create medical all-in-one PCs that are as safe as possible, which is why every medical all-in-one PC we make features an antimicrobial enclosure. These enclosures inhibit the growth of dangerous diseases such as MRSA on their surfaces, allowing PCs like the Medix T22B to be safely used by multiple medical staff in the same day.

 

 

Medix KW Series
Medix KW Series

 

Front Facing Camera

Patient care is a constantly changing challenge, but with medical computers like the Medix KW Series, you can be one step ahead of the game. These medical all-in-one PCs feature front facing cameras, allowing doctors to “visit” with patients in recovery without having to trek across the entire hospital. These cameras also allow doctors to communicate over chat services, attend virtual meetings, and even take pictures of injuries for later examination. The possibilities of this feature are truly endless, and ensure that your hospital stays ahead of the curve.

 

 

 

Medical PC: Customizable for Your Healthcare Needs

While All-In-One PCs do feature the capabilities of a PC, keyboard, mouse, and monitor in one convenient package, there’s always more room to fit in a few more features. At Tangent, our Medical PCs are built to be customized, having multiple options to fit your hospital’s unique needs. These customization options make medical PCs from Tangent the perfect platform to build on.

 

Tangent Medix T19B
Tangent Medix T19B

Hot Swap Battery Charging Station

Medical care is a 24 hour industry, and your medical PCs shouldn’t have to be out of commision charging for hours when they could be working. That’s why medical PCs like the Medix T19B from Tangent come equipped with Hot Swap battery technology, allowing you to seamlessly replace batteries without interruption. This technology allows this medical PC to be used on the go, while operating as though it was plugged into an outlet. When plugged in, the Medix T19B operates like a normal desktop and charges its batteries. However, sometimes an extended period of unplugged usage is needed, and you may find yourself having exhausted all three batteries. With the optional external battery charging station, this is no longer an issue and the Medix T19B can run around the clock.

 

Tangent Medix KW
Tangent Medix KW

 

 

Barcode and RFID Scanners

RFID technology has seen an explosion in use over the last decade, and has become an indispensable tool to hospitals. Tangent knows this, and that’s why medical PCs from Tangent can be customized to have RFID reading technology. Medical PCs like the

 KW series can easily be customized to include RFID readers without the need for a third party peripheral. Likewise, Tangent medical PCs can be equipped with barcode scanners right out of the box for use in the hospital.

 

 

Tangent Medical Computer T22B
Tangent Medix T22B

 

vPro

IT departments in every sector use vPro to monitor activities on company computers. vPro can be used to diagnose computers without IT needing to be physically present, and can greatly increase productivity. However, not every medical PC needs this technology right out of the box, and Tangent knows this. That’s why medical PCs like the Medix 22B have the option of including vPro, but not the requirement. This customization allows you to decide when and where vPro is used, and not worry about having unnecessary features.

 

Medix E22B
Medix E22B

 

Cameras and Microphones

One of the greatest advantages of having All-In-One medical PCs from Tangent is their versatility; a medical cart and operating room can run on the same exact medical PC. Take the Medix E22B and E24B from Tangent for example, these computers feature  the Hot-Swap battery technology to be used on medical carts, but can also be customized to include a front facing auto-focus Camera and microphone. This allows the E22 medical PCs to be used to check in on patients in recovery, host remote meetings, and take pictures and videos. This customization option has limitless medical applications, and all on a computer that can be used in any situation!

 

And Many More

These are just a few of optional features that Tangent medical PCs have to offer. Smart ID reading, VESA mounting, and expanded storage options are also available for Tangent medical PCs. Whatever your computing need is, you can be sure there’s a customization option that will make a Tangent medical pcr your number one choice.