Optimizing Inventory Management of Medical Supplies in the Orthopedic Setting

The efficient inventory management of medical supplies used in orthopedic surgeries underpins high quality patient care.

This blog explores strategies for optimizing orthopedic inventory. Management of medical inventory is a priority for many healthcare organizations, as they look to improve the clinical, operational and financial management of their provision.

Challenges of Managing Orthopedic Inventory

Orthopedic surgery requires one of the largest and most complex inventories used in procedural areas, so getting inventory management right in this setting is key.

There are unique challenges involved in managing orthopedic inventory. Management of medical supplies in this setting involves a vast variety of products, with many being required in a range of sizes. In addition, the usage of kits and trays, as well as the common need for ‘trunk stock’ items, add further layers of complexity.

The requirement to comply with quality standards and regulations, such as UDI, also put increased demand on providers to carefully manage this stock.

Using Automation to Manage Orthopedic Inventory

Technology can play a transformative role in optimizing orthopedic inventory management. Medical inventory systems can significantly improve inventory visibility, tracking, control and management.

• Task Automation: Inventory management systems automate many inventory management tasks, including tracking stock levels, identifying low-stock items, and generating reorders. This can significantly reduce manual work by both nursing and logistics staff and improve overall efficiency.

• Standardization: Product substitutions and different physician preferences often lead to high levels of variation which can cost healthcare providers dearly. Many are involved in product standardization activities, often driven by value analysis initiatives. Using inventory data in this way simplifies procurement, improves contractual terms, and reduces costs.

• Optimized Inventory: Automated systems can optimize the par-levels of individual SKUs in each par location. AI algorithms can steer providers towards more appropriate par adjustments in order to ensure the continued availability of required items, while reducing obsolete and excess stock.

• Expiry Management: Managing expiry ensures that you gain full control of your inventory, even if it is vast, by automatically monitoring expiry date of every single medical device or implant. When you use products prior to expiry, you prevent massive wastage loss and reduce purchasing costs.

• Tracking Utilization: It’s important to ensure full tracking and inventory management of medical utilization in surgery is a vital step to getting this right, making sure that every consumed item ends up in the patient file. One area that’s particularly problematic is the documenting of small loose items, such as nuts, bolts, screws, and plates. New AI Vision technology has finally come up with a way to ensure accurate digital records of these items.

• Inventory Data: Healthcare runs on data. Getting full, enterprise-wide inventory data that can be filtered down to each department, each storeroom, each smart cabinet – provides amazing opportunity to gather business intelligence that can drive through many cost saving and efficiency-boosting activities

By implementing these strategies and embracing technological advancements, hospital orthopedic departments and ambulatory surgery centers can achieve significant improvements in their inventory management of medical supplies in this setting.

Automated Medical Inventory Management of Medical Supplies in Orthopedic Departments

There are clinical, operational and financial benefits to gain by automating the management of orthopedic inventory. Management of medical inventory in this setting relies upon an efficient system that can provide visibility, tracking, control and data insights.

Selecting a tool that is custom designed to the needs of the orthopedic setting delivers bigger benefits.

At IDENTI we lead the market in AI-powered healthcare inventory management technology, including AI Vision, which has custom-features, especially designed for tracking orthopedic inventory at the point of use.

Contact Us today to talk about optimizing your orthopedic inventory.

Inventory Management of Medical

Inventory Management of Medical

Inventory Management of Medical

Inventory Management of Medical

Inventory Management of Medical

Inventory Management of Medical

Inventory Management of Medical