Introduction

Medical consumables are the basis of various business activities in clinical operations. The clinical work environment, sanitary consumables and patient safety are closely linked. The motivation of the unit of this project and subsequently, the establishment of the task force are to increase work fluency and improve the workload of nursing staff. Hopefully, the application of lean management could effectively reduce the cumbersome process, increase the supply convenience for staff, reduce the time spent on replenishment of sanitary consumables, streamline steps, and provide patients with high-quality and safe medical components.

Methods

After actual investigation of the current existing circumstances of the outpatient departments, three main improvement focuses were determined, namely complicated computer operation steps, a large amount of sanitary consumables, and difficulty in checking and receiving materials at the time of collection. Ultimately, three strategies were applied. Standard consumption of sanitation consumables: Color management of material requisition worksheet is used for the requisition inventory. All kinds of sanitation consumables are classified and planned according to the work flow.Establishment of an automatic replenishment operation process: adjusting the schedule, time and delivery site for outpatient consumables. Set up an audit team to plan the inspection mechanism of sanitary consumables: building a QR code on-site audit on the outpatient information platform, and updating the operating guidelines for outpatient sanitary materials management.

Results

Through the implementation of the strategies of lean management such as the establishment of standard material applying quantity for each library, automatic allocation of replenishment procedures, and the establishment of a sanitation consumables review mechanism, the sanitation consumables application time dropped from 411.2 to 153.6 points, and the sanitation consumables return operation time decreased from 270 to 128 points before the project to after the project. Simultaneously, the procedures for dispensing consumables for the outpatient departments were simplified from 47 to 18 steps; thereby, improving patient safety and reducing medical care-related costs.

Conclusion

In the early stage of implementation of the project, nurses in the units expressed that it was an extra burden to re-evaluate the standard consumption of each bank. This was a resistance to implement of this project. The large consumption of hygiene materials in outpatient departments, and the inconsistent standard quantity, which leaded to the difficulties to comprehensive evaluate the actual consumption. Though the project, the strategies effectively achieve saving benefits. Furthermore, the standard quantity of sanitary consumables is build up in the units, and the unified content of the label is clearly posted, which efficiently remind each other to avoid excessive use. These are the biggest boost to the project implementation.