Abstract:

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of integrating a secondary storage information system with the Lean 5S Management Model in managing disposable medical supplies in the Intensive Care Unit（ICU），to address issues commonly associated with traditional management approaches，such as blind spots in shelf-life monitoring，low inventory efficiency，billing errors，and excessive waste，thereby improving management accuracy and patient safety. Methods A combined model of the secondary storage information system and lean 5S management was implemented in the ICU. The secondary storage system was interfaced with the hospital’s Health Information System（HIS），enabling digital management of consumables including inbound and outbound tracking，inventory alerts，and expiration monitoring. Real-time updates and information sharing were ensured. Simultaneously，the lean 5S principles—Sort，Set in order，Shine，Standardize，and Sustain—were applied to optimize storage conditions and standardize supply usage processes. A non-concurrent controlled study was conducted in the intensive care unit （ICU） of a tertiary Grade A hospital. Eighty-four categories of low-value disposable medical supplies used between January 2024 and June 2025 served as the study material. The control phase（January-September 2024） adopted conventional manual management，whereas the intervention phase（October 2024-June 2025） implemented a secondary storage information system combined with Lean 5S management. Key indicators included time per inventory count，response time for supply requisitions，expiration rate，billing error rate，adverse event rate，per capita daily supply cost，and monthly inventory turnover rate. Results After implementing the integrated model，management efficiency improved significantly. The average time for a single inventory count decreased from（38.52±6.73）minutes to（12.18±3.25）minutes（P<0.001），and the supply requisition response time dropped from（4.21±1.05） hours to（1.05±0.33） hours（P<0.001）. Quality indicators also improved markedly，the expiration rate declined from 5.37% to 0.76%（P<0.01），the billing error rate from 3.12% to 0.53%（P<0.01），and the adverse event rate from 1.57% to 0.35%（P<0.001）. In terms of economic outcomes，the per capita daily supply cost was reduced from（18.75±3.62）CNY to（9.83±2.17） CNY（P<0.001），while the monthly inventory turnover rate increased from 62.1% to 89.6%. Conclusion The integration of the ICU secondary storage information system with the Lean 5S Management Model demonstrates significant effectiveness in managing disposable medical supplies. Through real-time digital tracking and meticulous on-site management，this model effectively addresses issues of expiration oversight，human error，and resource waste inherent in traditional approaches. It enhances operational efficiency，ensures supply safety，and enables refined cost control，offering a standardized and scalable solution for ICU supply management.

Key words: Information System, 5S Management, Intensive Care Units, Disposable Medical Supplies, Quality Management, Nursing Management Research