[Image from Draeger]
The study claims that ceiling mounted solutions for utilities are more superior than a traditional headwall.
Hospital staff members tend to like overhead booms more, according to the study. Overhead booms have shown to have benefits for caregivers in neurodegenerative and cardiac ICUs where they need access to the head of the bed most.
Overhead booms are traditionally positioned directly over the center of a patient and have articulating arms to help push utilities to the side of patient beds. They free up floor space but take up a lot of room in a patient’s room. Draeger’s Ponta Beam is placed perpendicular to the bed to eliminate the bulkiness over the center of the patient.
Because of the smaller size of the Draeger beam, it is less intrusive between patients and visitors and between caregivers and equipment they need to use, according to the company. The smaller size also allows it to be mounted closer to the wall and eliminates dangerous clutter at the head of the bed and frees up floor space.
The study also showed that overhead booms tend to remind patients that they are in a hospital setting.
Draeger, HKS and Grady Health System conducted a simulation of Draeger’s Ponta Beam for doctors to give feedback compared to other overhead utility systems. Participants in the study were asked to note their interactions with the beam and had to complete a survey at the end.
More than half of the 15 participants though that the beam reduced clutter around the bed and was better at organizing the equipment and managing cables. Thirteen participants agreed that the beam gave better access to the patient’s head while 7 agreed that it was easier to transfer a patient in and out of bed. The majority of participants agreed that the beam gave better access to equipment and that its flexibility made it easier to move.
The full white paper was published online.
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