Proposed Topic (Most preferred): :
HA Young Investigators Session (Projects to be presented by HA staff who had joined HA for 10 years or less)
Proposed Topic (Second preferred): :
Research and Innovations (new projects / technology / innovations / service models)
Authors (including presenting author) :
Lo HK(1), Wong KW(1)
Affiliation :
(1)United Christian Hospital
Introduction :
There are many different kinds of medical consumables in the storeroom. Sometimes it is very difficult for the staff to find the required one. Especially during emergency situation that the required item should be readily available because every minute of delay is a matter of life and death for our patients. Therefore, a pilot study of facilitating our nursing and supporting staff to locate the required medical consumables in the storeroom by using an user-friendly electronic sorting system was carried out in Department of Surgery, United Christian Hospital.
Objectives :
1. To enhance the efficiency of searching medical consumables in the storeroom. 2. To provide a staff-friendly stock inventory system. 3. To maintain systematic management of medical consumables in the storeroom.
Methodology :
1. Medical consumables inside the storeroom of surgical ward 7A were sorted and relocated by using 5S methodology from January to March 2023. 2. Commercial app with inventory sorting function, named ‘Sortly: inventory simplified’ was used. 3. Data of the medical consumables including names, locations, images and categories were input to the app from April to May 2023. 4. A pre-questionnaire was conducted in June 2023 among all nursing and supporting staff in ward 7A to explore their difficulty in searching and handling medical consumables. 5. The usage of this electronic sorting system was promulgated and demonstrated among all nursing and supporting staff in July 2023. 6. Pilot trial of the electronic sorting system was implemented from August to October 2023. 7. A post-questionnaire was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of the electronic sorting system in November 2023. 8. The data obtained in the questionnaires were compared and analyzed in December 2023.
Result & Outcome :
All staff (n=55) in surgical ward 7A were invited to complete the questionnaire, 90.9% (n= 50) including 26 nurses, 12 PCA, 2 clerks and 10 TUNS responded to the questionnaires. 98% of the respondents used the electronic sorting system daily or weekly. All respondents reported that the electronic sorting system is helpful and easy to use which save time in searching the required consumables. The number of staff who often encountered difficulties in locating medical supplies in storeroom diminished drastically from 80% to 6% after launching the electronic sorting system. Misplacement rate of unused medical consumables dropped from 22% to 0% after launching the electronic sorting system. Most of the staff are satisfied with this pilot project and feedback are positive. On the way forward, it could be expanded to include all medical supplies and equipment in the ward. Moreover, HA can develop similar internal app for locating medical consumables, and install the system in ward IPAD for better accessibility and utilization.
