Introduction
Designed by healthcare professionals and a must for all inpatients or residents, the Meditote is a versatile tote bag that is purpose-built for use within hospitals, aged care facilities and at home. It is designed to keep patients’ important items together in one place within safe and easy reach.
The use of the Meditote will free up valuable space on tray tables maximising safety and minimising risk thereby creating a safer environment for patients and staff. In addition, less staff assistance and intervention allows more effective and efficient distribution of their time to patients. Budgets may also be impacted positively.
The inexpensive Meditote is a perfect fit for use within private and public hospitals, aged care facilities and rehabilitation centres where tray tables are used.
Accreditation
HOSPITALS
The Meditote may also assist you in meeting accreditation standards and improving consumer outcomes in several ways. Meditote supports quality practice and helps meet hospital-based accreditation standards and improve outcomes. The National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards have two main aims: to protect the public from harm and to improve the quality of health care provision. Meditote could assist hospitals with at least 3 of the 8 standards:
Standard 2 – Partnering with consumers
If Meditotes were introduced, patient satisfaction on surveys may be increased. Every inpatient would appreciate not having to rearrange their personal items on their hospital tray table trolley at each mealtime
Standard 3 – Preventing and controlling healthcare-associated infections
With belongings stored in the Meditote, the patient’s clutter free tray table could be more easily wiped clean, helping to reduce the risk of hospital-acquired infection. The Meditote itself does not absorb moisture easily so does not encourage bacterial growth.
Standard 5 – Communicating for safety
Communicating with consumers about the use of the Meditote could reduce the risk of injury and falls caused by patients trying to access personal items from their drawers (or cupboard) or picking up dropped items from the floor. This is especially true with the aged in any environment and non-ambulant patients.
AGED CARE
Meditote also improves outcomes with the assessment of the Australian Aged Care Quality Standards (2019). The Meditote provides advantages for consumers and staff in the following standards: consumer dignity and choice, personal care, supporting daily living, the service environment, feedback and complaints, and the safety and security of consumers.