MOBILE LABEL PRINTERS IN HEALTHCARE
The UK healthcare system remains under stress, with an ageing population presenting with more and increasingly complex healthcare issues, as well as a shortfall in the number of staff required. This means that healthcare organisations are looking for ways to help free up staff from administrative tasks to focus more on patient care – and mobile printers can help with this. “With workforce and space at a premium in healthcare settings like hospitals, there’s a definite switch to mobile printers, as much for their ergonomics as for their capabilities in supporting patient bedside care and test result workflows,” says Benoit Charnallet, product manager for TSC Auto ID EMEA. “The healthcare industry is said to report a 25% increase in mobile printers, driven by the need for fast, accurate documentation in dynamic environments. “As healthcare systems globally continue their journey of digitalisation and adopt smart technology like barcode scanners capable of reading linear codes as well as newer 2D variants like QR codes, it’s inevitable we’ll see a parallel rise in barcode printers too. According to GS1, healthcare regulators in more than 70 countries mandate GS1 DataMatrix codes for medical devices, accelerating upgrades enabling printers to deliver micro-barcodes on constrained labelling areas.” Deyon Antoine, product marketing manager at Toshiba Tec UK Imaging Systems Ltd, adds that demand for mobile label printers in healthcare is becoming more predictable and structural. “Healthcare organisations are increasingly embedding bedside and point of care workflows across pharmacy, pathology and patient identification workflows to improve safety and unlock bed capacity,” he says. “As a result, mobile label printers are no longer treated as tactical purchases but as part of standard clinical infrastructure. This creates repeatable opportunities rather
than one-off hardware deals, particularly within NHS trusts and integrated care systems under pressure to improve flow, patient safety and efficiency.”
Contributors
Changing expectations But while demand is increasing in
healthcare settings, users’ expectations of what they want from a mobile print device are also changing. “User demand is shifting away from raw specifications and towards workflow fit,” says Deyon. “Clinicians still expect reliability and accuracy, but they now prioritise devices that work naturally within a full shift. Lightweight, wearable or trolley mounted designs, one-handed operation and flexible media handling are becoming baseline expectations. This changes how partners should qualify opportunities: the key question is no longer ‘what printer do you need?’ but ‘where and how will it be used during the day?’ “Toshiba’s healthcare portfolio is built for bedside and pharmacy workflows, with compact, rugged mobile units and media options tuned for specimen, wristband and medication labels.” Benoit says healthcare customers will prioritise durable, easy-to-clean devices that integrate with existing hospital information systems and electronic health records systems. “We provide practical, scalable identification solutions that support traceability, regulatory compliance and consistent data capture across the patient journey,” he adds. “Our Alpha Series, for example, supports bedside and on-the-move labelling for specimen collection, medication and patient ID, reducing transcription errors and saving clinical time. The value is immediate: fewer manual steps, faster workflows and improved patient safety.” Innovations Customers’ changing expectations are also helping to drive product development and innovations in this
Benoit Charnallet
emea.tscprinters.com
Deyon Antoine
toshibatec.co.uk
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Lightweight, wearable or trolley mounted designs, one handed operation and flexible media handling are becoming baseline expectations.
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printinthechannel.co.uk
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