Buying Guide for Mobile Medical Vehicles

If you’ve decided that investing in a mobile medical vehicle is the right step for your clinic or business, you may feel overwhelmed with all the options and decisions you need to make to find the right vehicle to fit your needs.

Choosing the right medical vehicle depends on a variety of factors. You will need to keep in mind the medical specialty of your clinic, how many patients you want to see at a time, safety, the needs of your staff, as well as how to customize your vehicle. You want your mobile clinic to stand out on the street so that patients can find you.

1. Consider the Purpose

What is your medical specialty? This will decide the answer to a lot of questions. Consider, for example, that a mobile dentist office will have different needs than a clinic focusing on immunizations, one designed for testing and screening services, or community outreach and education vehicle. Make sure that whatever medical vehicle you are looking at works for you, your patients, and your community’s specific needs.

The primary purpose your medical vehicle will serve will help to determine the size and what equipment you’ll need to invest in and install. If you require tables, beds, wheelchair lifts, waiting areas, specialized machinery, or patient restrooms, all of these additions will play a part in choosing the perfect vehicle.

2. Determine the Size Needed

Like a traditional clinic, mobile clinics come in various sizes. First, figure out a basic layout that includes everything your medical vehicle will need to provide optimum care to your patients and community. Then, decide how large the vehicle will need to be to fit those needs. You can save yourself time and hassle by considering only medical vehicles that suit your specific requirements.

3. Set a Budget

Having your budget figured out before you look at medical vehicle options will help steer you in the right direction. Make a list of all of your clinic's needs, as well as the wants, and estimate realistic costs that will be involved. Be upfront with the sales representatives about what you have to work with so that they may best help you find what you need.

4. Make Safety and Accessibility Priorities

When running a mobile health clinic, safety needs to be a top priority. When you’re introducing custom equipment and machinery, handling medications and vaccinations, biological samples, seeing patients who are unwell, etc., a variety of safety measures must be top of mind. Consider additions to a medical vehicle your clinic may need, including temperature controls, safety locks, generators, refrigeration systems, air ventilation, and many more.

Reliability is also essential for any medical vehicle. Be sure to do extensive research into the durability of all electrical components and vehicle bodies before making a purchase to prevent costly frequent servicing.

Patient accessibility is also critical to account for. Restrooms and facilities will need to be made accessible to all, and wheelchair ramps or lifts should be included in the design.

5. Consult with Your Staff

Staff working in your mobile clinic will most likely be the people best able to tell you what they will need. Consider how many people will be staffing the clinic at any given time and be sure that you have plenty of space for them to do their jobs safely and efficiently.

Be sure to run medical vehicle options and any custom design features by trusted staff members before making a big purchase. They may save you money and time with their insight into daily operations and functionality needs.

6. Customize to Stand Out

Whatever medical vehicle you decide on should also be highly customized on the interior and exterior. Do not settle with a sales representative or company that does not pay attention to your specific needs.

The interior should be equipped with everything your clinic needs for efficiency, performance, and daily operations, including specialized medical equipment, patient waiting areas, office spaces, exam rooms, testing facilities, and more.

The exterior of your medical vehicle should feature a custom graphic design. When someone sees your mobile clinic, you will want them to recognize it and immediately understand what you do. A mobile clinic should stand out and be easily spotted by those looking for you and your services.

Consider adding a custom vinyl wrap to your medical vehicle. Display your clinic logo, name, and brand colors for easy recognition. A vehicle with custom graphic design is in itself a smart marketing tool, being a mobile billboard for your clinic.

When purchasing a medical vehicle for a mobile health clinic, there are lots of details to consider. To cut through the confusion, remember to do your research, set your budget, and always go with a seller that will work with you to get you the vehicle to meet all of your specifications and operational needs.