Navigating case carts, kits and trays in the surgical services setting

• Published in: Healthcare Purchasing News 2023-08, Vol.47 (8), p.22-26
• Main Author: Nadeau, Kara
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Automation; Children & youth; Departments; Design; Efficiency; Enterprise resource planning; Hospitals; Inventory; Operating costs; Patient safety; Supplies; Workforce planning
• ISSN: 1098-3716

Case carts, kits, and trays are fundamental to supporting surgical services. Because they flow between the sterile processing department (SPD) and the operating room (OR), both teams play a role in their effective and safe use. A focus on efficiency and waste reduction Managing surgical instruments and supplies can be a time- and labor-intensive process - from storage, picking and packing, transport to the OR, and back to the SP department - but as Ian Loper, Vice President, DSI pointed out, it is usually not a target area for improvement. Consider your case cart design and path Daetz said the emerging healthcare industry trend toward off-site sterilization and multi-facility distribution centers will make case cart optimization a focus area, particularly with regards to how case carts are transported between sites. Map SP and OR workflows To facilitate collaboration between the OR and the SPD for improved stocking and transport design of case carts, kits, and trays, Chrzanowski recommends a hospital start by digitally mapping the workspace and workflow of both departments together.