d. In the Army hospitals of today, CMS has become essential in the
maintenance and improvement of economical, effective, and safe patient care. Its
importance has increased as those administering the hospitals have discovered the
help CMS can give in serving operating rooms, delivery suites, nursing units, and other
service departments in the hospital.
1-2.
SERVICES OF CENTRAL MATERIEL SERVICE
The services of the CMS come from its objectives. Each hospital or medical unit
will develop local standing operating procedures for the CMS to use in providing
services. Generally, these services are provided by the CMS:
a. Process, maintain, and dispense supplies and equipment required by medical
and nursing personnel in the medical unit for the care, diagnosis, or treatment of
patients. This is generally considered the most important service of CMS. Processing
supplies through the CMS will be outlined step by step in this subcourse, so that you will
become thoroughly familiar with the processing procedures used in CMS.
b. Provide modern equipment maintained in good working condition and use the
best methods and techniques for processing the equipment.
c. Develop processing and supply control methods that will provide supplies and
equipment most efficiently and economically.
1-3.
ADVANTAGES OF CENTRAL MATERIEL SERVICE
There are three main advantages in the centralization of supplies and equipment.
They are safety, efficiency, and economy.
a. Safety. Safety for the patient is provided by the use of sterile goods. Safety
is increased and improved by putting all processing, preparation, and sterilization of
supplies in one area.
b. Efficiency. Efficiency is increased when trained personnel prepare and
maintain equipment for immediate use.
c. Economy. Economy occurs when an ample supply of needed supplies is
immediately available to users within the hospital. Central materiel service is a central
source of supply in a hospital. When such a central source of supply is used, there is
maximum use of equipment and a minimum of duplication because there is no need for
each unit in the hospital to buy and keep extra supplies. Another economic advantage
of a CMS is that the useful life of material is extended by careful processing using
trained personnel.
MD0937
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