Inventory Optimization in the Perioperative Care Department Using Kotter's Change Model

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Surgical Services Optimization
• Change Management Models

Background:

• Perioperative services face cost containment pressures, particularly concerning surgical instrument procurement and reprocessing.
• Existing literature lacks detailed guidance on implementing surgical instrument inventory optimization (IO).

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the implementation of an inventory optimization (IO) strategy within perioperative services.
• To apply Kotter's Change Model (KCM) as a framework for facilitating this change.

Main Methods:

• The study was conducted at a tertiary academic hospital across four high-volume surgical services.
• Kotter's Change Model (KCM) steps were systematically applied: coalition building, vision creation, urgency establishment, communication, empowerment, short-term wins, consolidation, and anchoring change.
• Evaluation involved inventory metrics, operational efficiency, and clinician satisfaction surveys.

Main Results:

• Total inventory decreased by 37.7%, with average tray size reduction of 18.0%.
• Annual savings included 1,333 reprocessing hours, $39,995 in labor costs, and $64,320 in depreciation costs.
• Instrument-related case cancellations dropped from 3.9% to 0.2%, and staff satisfaction with inventory increased from 1.7% to 80.0%.

Conclusions:

• This study provides the first description of successfully implementing KCM in perioperative inventory optimization.
• The findings support KCM as an effective tool for managing change in healthcare settings.
• The implemented IO strategy yielded significant cost savings and operational improvements.