Authors (including presenting author) :
Cheng CF(1), Poon KH(1), Tong HY(1), Wong N(1), Tsoi YK(1)
Affiliation :
(1)Department of Medicine, Haven of Hope Hospital
Introduction :
Effective management of emergency trolley is crucial for timely and accurate care during emergencies. Traditional manual methods for tracking stock levels and expiry dates often lead to inefficiencies, errors, and risks to patient safety. Maintaining stocked, functional, and non-expired supplies is critical but challenging under high-pressure conditions. This project introduces an electronic checklist grounded in Lean Healthcare principles to automate and simplify inventory management, enhancing patient outcomes, safety, and resource efficiency. Total Quality Management (TQM) principles will guide the implementation, ensuring continuous improvement and adherence to the highest standards of care through process evaluation, staff involvement, and feedback.
Objectives :
1) To reduce manual oversight and ensure timely inspections by an automate inventory management system
2) To keep emergency trolley stocked with current, non-expired supplies for safe and reliable patient care.
Methodology :
The Electronic Emergency Trolley Checklist implemented since March 2024 follows a structured process improvement approach, based on Lean and TQM principles:
1)Needs Assessment and Design: Engage clinical staff and inventory managers, to design a user-friendly system that integrates seamlessly into workflows.
2)System Development: Build a checklist with automated expiry tracking, usage monitoring, and time recording, prioritizing simplicity for high compliance.
3)Pilot Phase: Conduct a pilot program to collect feedback including compliance rates and completion times.
4)Full Implementation: Ongoing performance reviews, ensuring sustained efficiency and compliance.
Result & Outcome :
The implementation of the electronic checklist in the Geriatric ward yielded notable improvements based on a post survey of 20 users. Time efficiency increased, with 61.1% saving 15–30 minutes per inventory check and 16.7% saving over 30 minutes. Additionally, 83.3% reported a significant reduction in errors, and 100% expressed satisfaction, with 61.6% very satisfied. The Electronic Emergency Trolley Checklist utilizes Lean Healthcare Principles and Total Quality Management to enhance compliance, patient safety, and resource efficiency, ultimately leading to improved patient outcomes and accountability in healthcare settings.
