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Management of surgical instruments with radio frequency identification tags: A 27-month in hospital trial

Kaori Kusuda (Graduate Division of Life Sciences, Department of Human Environmental Sciences, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan)
Kazuhiko Yamashita (Division of Healthcare Informatics, Faculty of Healthcare, Tokyo Healthcare University, Tokyo, Japan)
Akiko Ohnishi (Department of Nurse, Kyoto Second Red Cross Hospital, Kyoto, Japan)
Kiyohito Tanaka (Department of Gastroenterology, Kyoto Second Red Cross Hospital, Kyoto, Japan)
Masaru Komino (Division of Infection Control, Social Welfare Organization Saiseikai Imperial Gift Foundation Inc. Saiseikai Kurihashi Hospital, Saitama, Japan)
Hiroshi Honda (Aide Director, Social Welfare Organization Saiseikai Imperial Gift Foundation Inc. Saiseikai Kurihashi Hospital, Saitama, Japan)
Shinichi Tanaka (Division of Infection Control, St.Marianna University School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan)
Takashi Okubo (Division of Infection Prevention and Control, Faculty of Healthcare, Tokyo Healthcare University Postgraduate School, Tokyo, Japan)
Julien Tripette (Department of human and environmental sciences, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan and Leading graduate school promotion center, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan)
Yuji Ohta (Faculty of Core Research Natural Science Division, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan)

International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance

ISSN: 0952-6862

Publication date: 14 March 2016

Abstract

Purpose

To prevent malpractices, medical staff has adopted inventory time-outs and/or checklists. Accurate inventory and maintenance of surgical instruments decreases the risk of operating room miscounting and malfunction. In our previous study, an individual management of surgical instruments was accomplished using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate a new management method of RFID-tagged instruments.

Design/methodology/approach

The management system of RFID-tagged surgical instruments was used for 27 months in clinical areas. In total, 13 study participants assembled surgical trays in the central sterile supply department.

Findings

While using the management system, trays were assembled 94 times. During this period, no assembly errors occurred. An instrument malfunction had occurred after the 19th, 56th, and 73th uses, no malfunction caused by the RFID tags, and usage history had been recorded. Additionally, the time it took to assemble surgical trays was recorded, and the long-term usability of the management system was evaluated.

Originality/value

The system could record the number of uses and the defective history of each surgical instrument. In addition, the history of the frequency of instruments being transferred from one tray to another was recorded. The results suggest that our system can be used to manage instruments safely. Additionally, the management system was acquired of the learning effect and the usability on daily maintenance. This finding suggests that the management system examined here ensures surgical instrument and tray assembly quality.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The research was financially supported by the Sasakawa Scientific Research Grant from The Japan Science Society, Adaptable and Seamless Technology Transfer Program through target-driven R and D, JST, and The Telecommunications Advancement Foundation.

Citation

Kusuda, K., Yamashita, K., Ohnishi, A., Tanaka, K., Komino, M., Honda, H., Tanaka, S., Okubo, T., Tripette, J. and Ohta, Y. (2016), "Management of surgical instruments with radio frequency identification tags: A 27-month in hospital trial", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 29 No. 2, pp. 236-247. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJHCQA-03-2015-0034

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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