Efficient materiel handling and distribution: a design perspective.

This article offers a condensed examination of facility design and the interface between owners, hospital managers, and architects in planning for hospital materiel handling and storage needs. A brief history is given of the evolution of materiel management and progress today in efficient ordering, storing, distributing, and inventory and billing. The article closes with a discussion of work redesign and personnel vs. equipment concerns. Two case studies exemplify similar goals from different approaches.