Comments on: 5S for Crash Carts http://www.leanblog.org/2008/12/5s-for-crash-carts/ Mark Graban's leanblog.org - Lean Healthcare, Lean Thinking, Lean Manufacturing, Toyota Production System Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:07:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: JB http://www.leanblog.org/2008/12/5s-for-crash-carts/#comment-4230 JB Fri, 05 Dec 2008 23:31:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2008/12/5s-for-crash-carts/#comment-4230 I like the cart a lot. Maybe you could even put a color in the back of each compartment that would provide a visual of when the supplies were gone or running low. <br/><br/>Just walking by a cart with red or yellow etc. exposed could flag someone to refill it.<br/><br/>Just a thought. I like the cart a lot. Maybe you could even put a color in the back of each compartment that would provide a visual of when the supplies were gone or running low.

Just walking by a cart with red or yellow etc. exposed could flag someone to refill it.

Just a thought.

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]]> By: Rick Bohan http://www.leanblog.org/2008/12/5s-for-crash-carts/#comment-4226 Rick Bohan Fri, 05 Dec 2008 12:41:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2008/12/5s-for-crash-carts/#comment-4226 Anon posts: <br/><br/>"I showed this to a doctor at our hospital and he asked a good question: How do you prevent people from borrowing things from the cart for non-emergency purposes? Sure it's visual, but it doesn't keep things secured."<br/><br/>(This question always gets brought up when I suggest shadowboards, putting tools where they are easy to see, etc.)<br/><br/>I assume the crash carts aren't locked up. What keeps someone from taking things from it now?<br/><br/>If folks do take things from crash carts, isn't it better that the fact something is missing be very visible?<br/><br/>Whatever the configuration of the crash carts, I assume someone is checking them regularly to make sure they are complete. Making everything visible just makes this activity easier and decreases the liklihood of "audit errors". Anon posts:

“I showed this to a doctor at our hospital and he asked a good question: How do you prevent people from borrowing things from the cart for non-emergency purposes? Sure it’s visual, but it doesn’t keep things secured.”

(This question always gets brought up when I suggest shadowboards, putting tools where they are easy to see, etc.)

I assume the crash carts aren’t locked up. What keeps someone from taking things from it now?

If folks do take things from crash carts, isn’t it better that the fact something is missing be very visible?

Whatever the configuration of the crash carts, I assume someone is checking them regularly to make sure they are complete. Making everything visible just makes this activity easier and decreases the liklihood of “audit errors”.

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]]> By: Anonymous http://www.leanblog.org/2008/12/5s-for-crash-carts/#comment-4223 Anonymous Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:52:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2008/12/5s-for-crash-carts/#comment-4223 I showed this to a doctor at our hospital and he asked a good question: How do you prevent people from borrowing things from the cart for non-emergency purposes? Sure it's visual, but it doesn't keep things secured. I showed this to a doctor at our hospital and he asked a good question: How do you prevent people from borrowing things from the cart for non-emergency purposes? Sure it’s visual, but it doesn’t keep things secured.

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]]> By: Mark Graban http://www.leanblog.org/2008/12/5s-for-crash-carts/#comment-4221 Mark Graban Thu, 04 Dec 2008 11:55:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2008/12/5s-for-crash-carts/#comment-4221 Dan - I agree completely. There are MANY process improvements that could be made without buying new carts. But, if they do work better, maybe new hospitals could incorporate these carts from the beginning? Dan – I agree completely. There are MANY process improvements that could be made without buying new carts. But, if they do work better, maybe new hospitals could incorporate these carts from the beginning?

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]]> By: Dan http://www.leanblog.org/2008/12/5s-for-crash-carts/#comment-4220 Dan Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:41:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2008/12/5s-for-crash-carts/#comment-4220 I don't know. It's a nice redesign, but when you consider how many crash carts are stocked in a large hospital that could be pretty damn pricy. Where I worked we very rarely had outdated meds, untested equipment, etc.<br/><br/>Everything was tested every beginning of shift and logs were kept -- pretty simple stuff. The only time I saw outdated stuff was when I first started and I noticed the defib pads were roughly a year past date. I brought it to the safety officer's attention and he told me he didn't know defib pads expired. I gave a quick in-service to the department and that was the last time that happened. I haven't worked in that hospital in over a year and I could still walk up to any cart and break it open and go straight to anything I need. Maybe other hospitals aren't as good, but then a new fancy box won't solve that problem (like you said, it's a process issue). I don’t know. It’s a nice redesign, but when you consider how many crash carts are stocked in a large hospital that could be pretty damn pricy. Where I worked we very rarely had outdated meds, untested equipment, etc.

Everything was tested every beginning of shift and logs were kept — pretty simple stuff. The only time I saw outdated stuff was when I first started and I noticed the defib pads were roughly a year past date. I brought it to the safety officer’s attention and he told me he didn’t know defib pads expired. I gave a quick in-service to the department and that was the last time that happened. I haven’t worked in that hospital in over a year and I could still walk up to any cart and break it open and go straight to anything I need. Maybe other hospitals aren’t as good, but then a new fancy box won’t solve that problem (like you said, it’s a process issue).

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]]> By: Dean Bliss http://www.leanblog.org/2008/12/5s-for-crash-carts/#comment-4219 Dean Bliss Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:22:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2008/12/5s-for-crash-carts/#comment-4219 Yet another good example of how Lean techniques can help those of us in healthcare to eliminate waste in the things we do. And this one has a direct corrolation to patient safety. Yet another good example of how Lean techniques can help those of us in healthcare to eliminate waste in the things we do. And this one has a direct corrolation to patient safety.

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