[Use of medical supplies in surgical center after implementation of an automated management system]

The study had the objective to compare the efficiency of the Automated System of Management of Hospital Medical Materials as opposed to the traditional system in relation to the consumption of stock of materials. It involved a comparative analysis with a quantitative approach adopted in the Surgical Center of the University Hospital of the University of São Paulo. The study dealt with 293 items of hospital medical materials during the month-periods of February to May of 2007 and of 2008. The results showed that the use of materials in 2008 decreased by 8.13% as compared to 2007. The volume of materials in stock in 2008 was reduced by 26.22% also in the same period, and the cost of these materials stocked in 2008 showed a 12.46% decrease.