Time and technology are changing the way healthcare services work. With the recent pandemic, mobile healthcare has increased, and it’s no more a situation where a patient makes an appointment to see the doctor. Nowadays, doctors themselves are becoming mobile to see patients and crossing borders to make healthcare accessible.
Mobile medical trailers are nothing new. In fact, it has become the primary source of awareness, support, and training in medical science and healthcare for rural and remote villages and cities in developing countries. These trailers have been used more widely when the pandemic hit and medical practitioners, doctors, and nurses needed to get to the source of the cluster and control it quickly before an outbreak could spread.
Here are some amazing examples of how mobile medical trailers are used around the world:
- France
In France, mobile medical trailers and mobile clinics have been used to detect people with and provide care for coronavirus. These mobile trailers have been going to vulnerable populations in Paris and the surrounding regions to provide mobile consultations, screening among vulnerable populations, provide support for diagnosis, as well as isolation and patient care.
These mobile clinics have also been working shelters for homeless people in Paris to check and evaluate health and identify potential COVID-19 cases and other illnesses. In the south of France, mobile medical trailers have been used to access and reach people living in precarious situations that are often very far away from healthcare services and centers.
Apart from this, mobile trailers have also provided support to nursing homes and teams working in care homes, providing not only medical aid, but also psychological care throughout France.
- Iraq
Mobile medical trailers have been used by aid groups such as Doctors Without Borders and MSF to provide support to local hospitals in terms of improving infection prevention and controlling measures, as well as providing training on PPE. These trailers have also been used to isolate patients and to become a testing area for COVID-19 patients.
Mobile medical trailers are also used in various parts of Iran to set up isolation beds and treatment centers for people with mild to moderate cases of COVID, cooperating with local healthcare providers and hospitals. Besides this, mobile trailers are also effective tools to provide technical and logistical support and training to staff. Triage is also another service provided via these trailers. In Iraq, mobile trailers are used to undertake disease surveillance and treat mild cases of COVID.
- Asia
In Hong Kong, mobile medical trailers have been used to provide mental health support via face-to-face sessions. In Cambodia, mobile trailers are used to enter more remote and inaccessible areas to provide training and technical support to medical practitioners. Some trailers have been used as a way to develop national treatment protocols in rural areas. In Papua New Guinea, infection prevention control information and training are disseminated via mobile medical trailers, with a team of people going from one village to another to educate and increase awareness of infectious diseases, sanitary measures, and healthcare.
- Africa
In Mali, mobile medical trailers are used as a triage and isolation area, as well as a means to distribute various healthcare equipment, tools, and supplies. For COVID, staff and trainers use mobile trailers to spread awareness on hygiene, provide community outreach programs, and also contract tracing activities within the various communities in the city. Mobile units have also been used as a way to produce and distribute cloth masks to remote villages and towns. In some parts of Africa, medical teams have been using mobile trailers for so long to provide health promotional activities to local villages and communities. It’s also used to train staff and practitioners to establish proper hygiene practices such as handwashing, proper sanitation, etc.
The examples above are just some ways mobile medical trailers have been used to provide accessible healthcare to the people who need it the most. But then, what if you already have your practice and you want to reach out to more people? Can mobile medical trailers benefit private healthcare practitioners? The quick answer is YES, it can.
Here are benefits of having a mobile medical trailer:
- It makes healthcare accessible.
Mobile health trailers are known for their accessibility feature. You can outfit a mobile clinic according to your needs, especially with the right team. Mobile healthcare clinics enable doctors and nurses to really go down to the grassroots and meet people who otherwise have a hard time to get to a clinic or a hospital. Mobile medical trailers also cut down the time between appointments and also reduce missed appointments. You can also outfit your trailer to provide alternative medication such as acupuncture, Ayurveda, massages, and even a mobile facial and spa treatment center.
- It’s a lot easier when the trailer is outfitted the right way.
The right kind of experts with the right kind of supplies and technology can truly revamp a trailer, van, or truck to make it clean, sterile, and outfitted as a health or dental clinic, research lab, or examination room. Check out some of these trailers from https://www.craftsmenind.com/mobile-medical-trailer. A mobile medical trailer can be outfitted to whatever medical needs you require, such as providing emergency aid, providing triage support, a remote clinic in a refugee camp, or even a treatment center for maternity care. With medical technology, more and more equipment and tools can be converted into a trailer. It doesn’t have to be static anymore for healthcare providers to ensure the community they work in has access to healthcare. Keeping patient records in digital format frees up more space in your trailer for more important things such as equipment and patient care.
- It’s convenient and comfortable.
Mobile medical trailers are built to serve the community they operate in. It helps provide the practitioner a safe, convenient, and comfortable place to perform outpatient surgeries, emergency aid, first-level checkups, and even as a blood donation method. With the ability to store patient data on digital devices and the cloud, there’s even more space to perform actual healthcare work instead of having file cabinets taking up crucial space. Mobile medical trailers provide a holistic approach to healthcare, especially in remote areas.
- It provides an approach tailored to the needs of the community.
Healthcare practitioners learn a lot about their patients when they visit the location where their patients live. Patients also have more interpersonal relationships with their medical providers simply because the time to travel to meet a doctor or make an appointment is eliminated, giving more time to give actual patient care. Mobile medical trailers provide a ‘patient-centric’ approach toward healthcare, giving doctors more time to educate the community either as a group or on an individual basis, to teach the community better ways to improve their health and lead a healthier lifestyle.
- It can attract new patients.
Imagine rolling up into a neighborhood in your mobile medical trailer. Even if your original idea was to make healthcare accessible and meet with your existing patients, the fact that you brought your practice to the doorsteps of people is one way of gaining new patients. Mobile medical trailers can generate a lot of leads, whether you’re a private practitioner or a non-profit. It’s literally a moving advertisement for your cause, your brand, and your name. If you’re planning to invest in this, make sure you have your contact number, brand, and logo display on the vehicle. Prospective patients would love to get a checkup on their healthcare, especially if you make it easier for them by coming to them instead of the other way around. You can even visit new neighborhoods and go to different areas to get new clients, or just to let people see your trailer cruising down the street.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve been thinking of taking your medical practice to the people who most need it, mobile medical trailers are the way to do it. Not only do you have a comfortable and hygienic space to work in, but you’ll also be providing a safe and secure space for patients to come and see. Mobile medical trailers are especially worth it to reach patients who have mobility issues such as the elderly. Plus, it makes for a great advertising method for your practice.
A little goes a long way with trailers outfitted to serve medical needs. The main thing is to identify what kind of medical service you want to provide for your trailer. Is it for outpatient surgery, triage, consultation, contact tracing, or just a basic clinic that can provide the necessary checkups and medication? Also, working with the right kind of people can take your medical trailer from mediocre to professional with the latest technology and IT support.
Add Comment