High-Density Mobile Storage in the Operating Room Core

Updated May 17, 2014.

Hospitals store millions of dollars of surgical supplies every day. Often, the storage system includes some portion of those supplies in the Central Sterile Supply Storage, and a smaller portion stored in the operating room core.

A primary goal for improving healthcare efficiency today is point-of-need storage. Point-of-need is often used interchangeably with point-of-care. The idea is to have the supplies located close to where the work is performed so that staff spend less time hunting for and gathering what they need.

Therefore, hospitals are trying to find efficient ways to have as many supplies at the patient's bedside or in the operating room core as possible. The operating room core is located closer to the patients and surgical team than a hospital's central sterile supply room.

For the last several decades, the de facto solution has been stationary wire racks. Rows and rows of wire rack shelving are labeled in an attempt to keep things organized, and supplies are stacked on top of each other.

Hospital materials managers are now looking outside their industry for a better solution.

High-Density Mobile Storage in the Operating Room Core

High-density mobile storage is not new. It has been used for decades in other workplace environments, such as office space to store files, libraries to hold books, museums to store works of art while not on display, and in doctor's offices to store patient charts.

But now materials managers have learned that these units can be put to good use in the central sterile supply rooms, and even closer to the point-of-care, in the operating room core.

The shelving units sit on wheeled carriages that travel on rails. People move them either manually, mechanically assisted, or by powered key pad.

OR Supply Managers have removed the rows of inefficient wire racks, and have replaced them with far fewer high-density mobile storage systems. These systems are designed to at least double the storage capacity of static shelving.

Recognized Benefits

1. Reduced travel time for staff. Supplies are close at hand in the OR core. Reduced waiting.
2. Adjustable shelving and bins to accommodate changing sizes of supply packages.
3. Less unused space, both on the shelves and in between aisles.
4. Better organized system for small unit supplies by using various sized drawers, bins, and shelves.
5. The mobile systems enable managers to specify clear, see-through end panels and doors so that staff can get a quick visual on items for more better inventory control and location identification.
6. These same glass or plexi-glass doors help keep items protected from dust.
7. Shelves can be slanted for gravity-fed dispensing. This is especially handy for items like sutures that have an expiration date. Wasted supplies due to expiration has been reduced drastically, saving critical budget dollars.

Ideas for Items to Store in the OR Core's High-Density Mobile System

• Sterile supplies for surgery
• Sterile cases and procedure kits for surgery
• Sterile instruments for surgery
• Replacement parts for orthopedic surgical procedures
• Specialized supplies needed for cardiac surgical operating rooms and neurosurgery operating rooms
• Soft goods
• Syringes
• Catheters
• Sutures
• Stents
• Dressings

More Ideas for Improving Healthcare Efficiency

• Why Hospitals Should Hire More Robots
  
• Medical Supplies for Improving Patient Flow
  
• Tagging and Tracking Surgical Instruments
  
• Managing Medical Equipment & Supplies Using RFID Technology
  
• Efficiency, Ergonomics, and Aesthetics: Designing Lean into the Point-of-Care
  
• Value, efficiency, and infection prevention considerations of pre-packaged kits.
  
• How a Case Cart System Improves Efficiency, Cuts Costs, and Improves Care
  
• Enterprise Asset Managers and their impact on your balance sheet