Couriers keep the world turning, and are especially essential in a number of healthcare-related scenarios. So what can hospital-focused last-mile delivery providers do for you, and what aspects should you look for in a prospective courier for your own operations?
Supplying medical records
While electronic records are now the norm, there are still situations in which it’s necessary for physical documents to be sent from one site to another.
Ensuring that private patient data is handled safely, securely and efficiently is part of what hospital couriers do day in, day out.
Transferring test results
This is another important process which is handled digitally in many cases, but still has to be dealt with through hand delivery of paper files at certain points.
Crucially, the same-day delivery procedures offered by top courier companies mean that you don’t need to worry about important test results being delayed. And if time is of the essence where treatment is concerned, such swiftness can save lives. Indeed it has been instrumental during the pandemic, with tests themselves being handled by couriers globally.
Shipping medical equipment
Cutting edge medical equipment is designed and developed with care, so it deserves the same treatment when it is being moved from place to place.
Whether you’ve ordered some new bit of kit, or you want to shift it from one site to another, an experienced hospital courier is the best choice. They’ll have the knowhow and the means to make this process seamless, without endangering potentially fragile and almost certainly expensive machinery.
Delivering lab samples
Turning to a hospital courier to take on your lab sample delivery requirements is wise in the modern era, when you might not have sufficient on-site resources or expertise to process particular samples yourself.
Lab samples, like medical equipment, must be treated with care and respect, so it makes sense to select a courier which specializes in this area, rather than going the generic route.
Transporting medical specimens
Another aspect of running a hospital that can be outsourced is the distribution of medical specimens, with couriers bringing them to and taking them from your site as needed.
Whether in emergency situations or as part of routine procedures, knowing you can offload this task to professionals who are skilled at what they do, and backed up by the tech to make everything even more efficient, is a boon.
Choosing between hospital couriers
There are lots of things to weigh up when comparing different courier companies if you are responsible for hospital administration.
We just touched on the role that tech plays in accelerating the modern logistics sector, and so this should be high on your wish list for any prospective courier.
For example, having the ability to track deliveries in real time so that you know exactly where the driver is from moment to moment, is a big selling point. It can even help with your own decision-making in the case that time is of the essence.
There’s also the benefits that come with being able to integrate courier-related capabilities into your own website courtesy of an API. That means you can improve your own patient services without having to invest significant sums in adding complex functionality under your own steam.
You should also look at the track record of any courier, and see how their delivery rates compare with the competition. You want to see a high level of on-time deliveries in order to be satisfied.
So there you have it; some advice on what to look for in hospital couriers that can guide your decision when you’re hunting for a new provider.
