Authors (including presenting author) :
Wong SY (1), Chan PSA (1), Au KMB (1)
Affiliation :
(1)Occupational Therapy Department, Tai Po Hospital
Introduction :
There are many different work tasks and procedures in the occupational therapy department, for example fabrication of customed assistive devices and pressure garments for patients. Besides involving occupational therapists, supporting staff also need to help in the process. In order to have a proper record and efficient work system, we have been using paper records to take orders for projects and keep record of work task allocation.
In addition, there are many ADL devices and assistive equipment on loan to patients. Inventory checking needs to be regularly performed. We have been using paper forms to handle the equipment loan, and the work procedure was highly inconvenient and there were frequent mistakes.
Hence, we decided to make use of new technology to improve the overall work flow for these manual, repetitive and paper-pencil tasks to enhance our work efficiency and daily operation.
Objectives :
-To improve the current project order system
-To improve the inventory management
Methodology :
In order to improve the project order system, the previous paper-pencil format was replaced with a web-based format. Projects orders could be placed easily by filling in a web-based form, and automatic email notifications would be sent to the coordinator. Also, an Excel spreadsheet was designed to auto-sync the orders into the spreadsheet for record keeping.
To improve management of ADL devices and other assistive equipment, an inventory management system which utilizes radio-frequency identification technology (RFID) was set up. RFID is a wireless communication technology, and the wireless signal can be used to identify specific targets and read corresponding data on the target.
Result & Outcome :
The new technology can improve the work flow for the above tasks to enhance our work efficiency and daily operation. The project order system facilitates the job allocation and workflow in the department prominently. RFID can improve the whole work flow, facilitating a more effective and accurate inventory checking process. This is important as there are more than 800 asset items and patient-use items in the occupational therapy department. In the past, it took a long time to perform inventory checking, and missing items could not be easily identified. With this new inventory management system, the time for locating asset items is significantly reduced. Also, it serves as a loan system with reminder function. As a result, inventory items that have been on loan can also be located and retrieved with the click of a button.
