Barcode Readers – What should you buy
If you use barcoded cards for patient identification, you’ll need a scanner at:
- Arrivals
- Checkout
- Reception
If you are using barcodes on your products, you will need a scanner at:
- Checkout
- Reception
- Exam if you don’t have a reception for initial reading of codes off products
There are many different barcode readers available at a wide range of prices. Essentially, the more expensive a reader, the greater the range it can read from and the more reliable it will read the code. Also, some are desk-mounted and some need to be operated by hand. Typically you will want a higher-end desk-mount one in locations where the patient will be using the reader. We recommend an Orbit Scanner.
Some will also come with features like wireless operation which you generally should avoid as it introduces more complexity.
Probably the best places to buy from are Amazon or Ebay.
You can buy second hand ones for quite cheap. Keep in mind however that some scanners are configurable and if you buy a second hand one you may need to reset the configurations to get it to work.
