Authors (including presenting author) :
Uy CH(1), Lau KK(1), Leung YK(1), Leung YYC(1)(2)
Affiliation :
(1) Physiotherapy Department, North Lantau Hospital, (2) Princess Margaret Hospital
Introduction :
Simple asset management system with the usage of paper recording has been implemented in North Lantus Hospital (NLTH) Physiotherapy Department for many years. Checking and updating the details of equipment are performed by responsible frontline staff. Inaccuracy and delay in inventory update have been an inevitable consequence due to the inconvenience in accessing the inventory records which are stored separately in multiple locations. The incomplete record could result in unnecessary utilization of manpower and resources in purchasing duplicated equipment or searching lost items. Simple inventory system in paper form also tremendously hinders the annual asset verification exercise. Current practice requires a number of staffs to take multiple days to manually track more than 200 items from the asset checklist, given it does not provide location of items.
Besides, under Covid-19 pandemic, NLTH physiotherapy department is heavily involved in the development of rehabilitation services in HKICC. Internal loan of equipment is practiced in the early phase and it is important to organize the transition of various items and make full use of existing resources. Therefore, it is an opportunity to review and optimize the existing asset management system in order to meet the needs.
Objectives :
1. To maximize the utilization of resources and manage in asset in a systematic way
2. To simplify the regular asset checking process and reduce the manpower in management of inventory system
3. To echo with the direction of Smart Hospital Strategy in HA
Methodology :
The e-inventory system was designed and created in order to overcome the challenges mentioned above. The system consisted of two parts, namely the google sheet drive and the QR code system. Various items such as machineries, rehabilitation equipments, consumerables and furnitures were included in this project. Google sheet was selected to record the master list of equipment due to its user-friendliness, high accessibility and universality in usage. These qualities facilitate future development of e-inventory and coverage in other settings.
In the google sheet drive, each item was documented in a specific row with the past inventory records, including the asset ID, location, and recent status (mobilized, damaged or under maintenance) and sorted with tabs according to their different locations. Attachments such as user manual and maintenance certificate may also be uploaded to the drive for quick reference. For some consumable items, reminder of expiry date was set and an email would be sent automatically to the responsible staff 1 week and 3 months before the expiry date to take appropriate action. Besides, changes in quantities of bulk items and consumables such as shaped support bandage and aircast could be updated and tracked by the e-inventory system on a weekly basis. This helps to enhance the transparency of inventory status and allows staffs to take prompt actions to address the inadequacy in stocking. In terms of security, access right to the drive was granted for specific staffs that are allowed to input and monitor the inventory.
Moreover, a QR code system was also created and utilized in parallel to the usage of google sheet drive. It was implemented for a set of machineries registered with EAM number. For each of the included items, QR code was generated online and the printed QR code labels were put onto the equipment. With the scanning function of any mobile phone or QR code reader in hospital, the asset ID and drive link would be shown. The drive link would automatically be redirected to the corresponding row of the equipment in the google sheet with the display of storage information. This facilitated the equipment mobilization as the changes in asset information could be accessed and updated instantly at any time and different workplaces with any smart device.
Result & Outcome :
The e-inventory system commenced in service in mid-October. Up to 13th December, 412 items were registered in the google sheet and 29 items were updated with location or quantity. In the QR code system, 62 machineries which had been registered with AMS were included and QR code label was created and put onto each of them. For a single event of equipment mobilization, record update could be performed within 30 seconds. For the annual asset verification exercise, a formula is set in google sheet with a function to search multiple items which could automatically link up the entire asset checklist with the information (location and status). This minimizes the manpower and time for manual asset checking from days to a few minutes.
All of the convenience provided by the systems allowed the frontline staff to put more focus on patient care and develop other new clinical services. Accurate data on the availability and functional status of the equipment improve the logistics and workflow in mobilization of existing resources. Also, it helped to reduce the wastage of existing resources and provided some hints in budget planning. Most importantly, the utilization of the e-inventory system was a pioneer step initiated in NLTH Physiotherapy department in performing paperless operation and aligning the Smart Hospital Scheme in Hospital Authority.
In conclusion, the electronic inventory system enhanced the efficiency and better experience in asset management. Further phases of e-inventory project are expected to be developed for better coverage and service of smart asset management in NLTH Physiotherapy Department.
