Enhancing sterilization supply management: a pre-post study on the impact of an integrated information system in a multi-campus hospital setting.

In a multi-campus hospital setting, a pre-post study investigates the impact of an integrated information system on sterilization supply management. The research, published in BMC Health Services Research on April 2nd, 2026, focuses on streamlining the process for managing surgical instruments and supplies across multiple hospital campuses.

The study design involves comparing cycle times, inventory levels, and sterilization outcomes before and after the implementation of the integrated system. The results show a significant reduction in turnaround time for instrument processing by approximately 20%, with an average cycle time of 6 hours post-implementation.

Furthermore, the study reports a decrease in the failure rate of sterilized instruments from 1.5% to 0.7%. The integrated system also contributed to improved inventory management, reducing stockouts and overstocks by 30% and 25%, respectively.

The setting for this research is the central service departments (CSSD) of the hospital campuses, which are responsible for sterilizing surgical instruments used in the operating rooms and endoscopy units. The integrated information system used in this study incorporates features from ISO, AAMI, and CDC guidelines for sterilization process management and inventory control.

While the study does not specify particular brands or products, it emphasizes the potential of such integrated systems to improve efficiency, reliability, and cost-effectiveness in hospital CSSD operations.