Using Lean Management to Improve the Efficiency of Medical Supply Access for Disaster Medical Teams - A Case Study of Hualien County Disaster Medical Team

Summary: The Hualien County Disaster Medical Team, established in 2018, aims to enhance disaster response efficiency. Experiences from several major earthquakes and a train derailment in 2021 revealed that personnel had spent much time locating supplies in complex disaster settings. Applying Lean Management principles, we developed “modular tactical medical belt bags” and “tactical belts” to facilitate the location of supplies, aiming to reduce time and improve operational efficiency by: 1. Regularly checking the inventory and expiration date. 2. Categorizing disaster supplies into modular tactical kits (Triage, Injection, Trauma, Immobilization, and Personal Items Kits). For saving time, tactical kits are fully replaced rather than restocked item-by-item when some items are exhausted. 3. Utilizing tactical belts. The belt, equipped with essentials like a radio and tape, allows responders to keep critical items readily accessible. Modular kits effectively reduced the time spent retrieving supplies in disaster settings. Tactical belts saved an average of 2 minutes in locating items. Initially, tactical kits were restocked by logistics, taking an average of 5–7 minutes. Later, the process was changed from refilling bags to exchanging used bags for fully stocked ones, giving responders instant access to necessary supplies. This adjustment increased user satisfaction from 82% to 93%. Every second counts. Applying lean management to DMAT logistics design - “Modular Tactical Medical Waist Bag” and “Tactical Belt” - reduces the time consumed in inventory management, enables faster acquisition of necessary items in unfamiliar environments, and improves the efficiency of disaster medical response.