Do you recall hearing the slogan “Have it your way”? It was a very popular slogan and jingle from a fast food franchise. Some can probably still sing the jingle from the old commercials from memory.
Burger King focused on making your meal the way you wanted it; you could even use the drive-thru to place a special order and be satisfied in a matter of minutes. This slogan gave them a competitive advantage setting them apart from the competitor.
In the busy atmosphere of a hospital the ability to provide service and healthcare sets one hospital apart from another. Providing menus so patients can choose what they want for their next meal, or giving the option to have a private room are not unusual requests in today’s healthcare environment. Satisfying the patient by letting them “have it their way”- makes perfect sense.
We often hear sighs or silence from clinicians at hospitals when introducing our carts because we understand that they are often working with old, outdated carts. Carts with worn finishes that threaten infection control, just plain look bad, or configurations that no longer meet the need or requirements of the job.
As a distributor of Medical Carts and OB Furniture for the healthcare industry, Innovative Medical Systems (IMS) has found that many clinicians must do “workarounds”, which can be costly and timely. They may need to gather supplies from here and stretch around over there, to best serve patients. By regularly working with supplies and the patient, clinicians know that “a fix” could be as simple as reversing the design of a cart to meet “workflow” needs.
At IMS, we understand that buyers have budgets when purchasing new carts for a given department. Often, they place orders for carts with the vendor whom they have purchased from previously. This might fill the requirement of a new cart within budget but it may not address the underlying issue as to the “need” for a new cart. Therefore, we recommend Buyers and Project Managers work with their clinicians to understand how to meet their workflow needs. A simple change can be made at little or no added expense that will meet the need. Communication is key to saving both time and money.
Recently we received a request for new carts from a buyer at a hospital. When questioned about the clinician’s workflow, there was no idea what it entailed, or how we could best meet the need of the department. The buyer left our call armed with the importance of understanding clinician’s workflow needs and to ask questions on how to best set up the new cart. The buyer will then be able to bring a cart to the table that allows staff to “have it their way”; meaning not just a satisfied patient, but a satisfied staff as well!
The next time you are approved for ordering new carts, call IMS and ask for Steve or Lynda. We will be happy to help make sure you are getting the best quality cart and “have it your way”!