Where is my infusion pump? Harnessing network dynamics for improved hospital equipment fleet management.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Timely availability of intravenous infusion pumps is critical for high-quality care delivery. Pumps are shared among hospital units, often without central management of their distribution. This study seeks to characterize unit-to-unit pump sharing and its impact on shortages, and to evaluate a system-control tool that balances inventory across all care areas, enabling increased availability of pumps.

Materials and methods

A retrospective study of 3832 pumps moving in a network of 5292 radiofrequency and infrared sensors from January to November 2017 at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. We used network analysis to determine whether pump inventory in one unit was associated with inventory fluctuations in others. We used a quasi-experimental design an

SUBMITTER: Martinez DA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7647311 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature