How to Build Your Point of Care Ecosystem: A Step-by-Step Planning Guide

Tracy Timmerman, Director of Marketing, Midmark Medical

By: Tracy Timmerman
Director of Marketing, Midmark Medical

October 17, 2025

 

It starts with a vision—not just a room

When people think “point of care,” they often picture an exam room. But at Midmark, it's more than a room—it's an ecosystem. A well-designed point of care ecosystem supports every touchpoint where care is delivered, data is collected and clinical teams interact with patients.

This guide is your roadmap: a walkthrough of the people, processes and product decisions that go into building a seamless point of care environment—from the first sketch to long-term support.

Step 1: Define the space

Are you building exam rooms, procedure rooms—or both?

  • Exam rooms: typically 10' x 10'

  • Procedure rooms: 12' x 12' to allow for clearance, equipment and infection prevention protocols

Other key planning considerations:

  • ADA and US Access Board (USAB) compliance: turning radius, reach zones, entryways and compliant equipment

  • Dual-access entry: enables self-rooming, reduces hallway traffic

  • Workflow zoning: define Provider Zone, Patient Zone and Support Zone

Imagine walking into a room where every doorway, every piece of cabinetry and every device has its place. The provider and care team do not need to pause to retrieve supplies; the patient doesn’t wait in silence wondering what’s next.

Pro tip: If you’re not sure where to start, Midmark Design for the Point of Care workflow models can help map this out for you whether you’re looking for a vital signs, exam, procedure or instrument processing setup.

Step 2: Build the core with equipment designed to work together

Midmark 626 with Patient Support Rails+

Exam Room

Midmark 626 Barrier-Free® Examination Chair—The focus of the USAB-compliant Better BP® Ecosystem

  • The 626 is ADA and USAB–compliant when paired with Patient Support Rails+ and Articulating Knee Crutches.

  • With its unprecedented low seat height (15.5"), the 626 is also currently the most accessible exam chair on the market, providing accessible care for more than 96% of patients who use wheelchairs.

  • The Midmark 626 with Patient Support Rails+ and Midmark IQvitals® Zone™ automated vital signs device is the only fully integrated point of care ecosystem clinically validated to help promote more consistently accurate blood pressure measurements.

  • As the focal point of the Midmark Better BP® Ecosystem, the Midmark 626 brings vital signs and weight capture to the point of care with automated, EMR-connected vital signs devices and an integrated digital scale. This ecosystem can help improve accuracy, consistency and the efficiency of vital signs measurements, reducing the risk of misdiagnosis and transcription errors.

  • The result: improved accessibility at the point of care, diagnostic confidence and improved workflow efficiency.

Learn more about the Better BP Ecosystem.

"When it comes to care management and our patients, it is important we have accurate blood pressure measurement. The Midmark 626 Barrier-Free Examination Chair with Patient Support Rails+ helps ensure proper participant positioning for that accuracy. Getting an accurate reading the first time eliminates the need to do a second reading, which saves valuable time during the patient visit."

Columbia Medical Practice (CMP)
Columbia, MD

Procedure Room

Midmark® 631 Procedure Chair—Accessible, Precise Medical Positioning

  • The Midmark 631 is designed for in-office procedures and is ADA and USAB–compliant when equipped with Patient Support Rails and Articulating Knee Crutches.

  • It features powered 8-way positioning for an ergonomic working posture—whether providers are seated or standing—while giving a clear, unobstructed view of the procedure site.

  • With a low transfer height, wide transfer surfaces and ample clearance for patient lifts, the 631 supports safe access for patients with mobility challenges.

  • The Midmark 631 supports a broad range of procedures with flexibility and precise positioning, helping improve both patient safety and caregiver ergonomics.

Learn more: Midmark 631 Procedure Chair

Midmark 631 Procedure Chair

Add cabinetry and mobile solutions:

Then configure the workstation:

Step 3: Remember diagnostics and EMR connectivity

Digital vital signs and diagnostics can save time, reduce the likelihood of transcription errors and boost clinical confidence.

Recommended setup:

IQvitals Zone, Digital Vital Signs Device and HEINE Wall Set Kit

  • IQvitals® ZoneTM with Midmark Connect: pushes vital signs data directly into the EMR with the added benefit of wireless auto-pairing—making it easier to move from room to room without cables (mounting option dependent upon your workflow)

  • Digital ECG with DICOM compatibility: supports seamless interoperability between the care team and the cardiologist for more informed diagnoses

  • HEINE® Diagnostic Wall Set Kits: convenient access to the diagnostic tools you need at the point of care

 

Think of the last visit where vital signs may have been scribbled down, devices weren’t connected and there were many unnecessary steps for the care team as well as delays for the patient. Now, contrast that with a visit where every tool is ready, data flows securely and automatically, and the care team is free to give undivided attention to patients.

Step 4: Design for instrument processing (yes, even here)

Instrument processing starts and ends at the point of care and extends through the sterile processing room.

Choose the right setup for your environment:

  • Point of care instrument processing: instruments must be aseptically transported to and from the instrument processing room.

  • Instrument processing room design: it is imperative to design with a dirty-to-clean workflow in mind and use cabinetry that can stand up to rigorous cleaning, helping to prevent cross-contamination.

  • Synthesis® modular cabinets are configurable to support workflow needs and include design considerations specific to the instrument processing space.

Remember: instrument processing design can impact accreditation and infection control scores.

Step 5: Plan for connectivity + IT integration

Vital signs and diagnostic devices should never sit idle because of poor connectivity.

Make sure to:

  • Involve IT early in planning.

  • Confirm Midmark Connect compatibility with your EMR.

  • Choose devices that work on your terms, with plug-and-play integration.

Midmark Connect enables seamless device-to-EMR data transfer—reducing transcription errors, rework and lost information.

This isn’t just a technology issue. Nearly half of US physicians—45.2%—reported at least one symptom of burnout in 2023-24, with administrative burden and inefficiency among the top drivers. Streamlined connectivity helps give time back to care teams and restores focus to patient care.

Step 6: Think past go-live—service + support matter

Building your ecosystem doesn’t end at install. Midmark provides a complete support model:

  • Clinical design consultation (complimentary)

  • Delivery + install coordination

  • IT onboarding + training

  • Clinical Education

  • Maintenance and ongoing support services

After installation, staff shouldn’t feel abandoned. Imagine a support team on call, training delivered smoothly and updates handled without disruption. Care flows forward without friction.

Why it matters now

With ongoing staffing shortages and the shift toward value-based care, optimization is no longer optional. Every inefficiency adds up—to wasted time, missed revenue and burned-out staff.Research shows physician burnout costs the US healthcare system at least $4.6 billion annually, primarily through turnover and reduced productivity. Operational inefficiency also undermines staff morale and patient satisfaction, two factors that directly affect outcomes and accreditation (ACHE-CAHL).

Designing a connected point-of-care ecosystem is one of the most impactful ways to protect both staff and patients—and future-proof care delivery.

Next Steps

Download the Point of Care Ecosystem Planning Checklist

Talk with a Midmark workflow consultant about your environment

Explore solutions at midmark.com/medical

Additional Reading:

 

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