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Information ecology theory provides a conceptual framework for digital medical consumables asset management systemsNew framework uses information ecology to manage medical supplies

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Key Takeaway
Note that the proposed framework serves as a conceptual roadmap rather than a validated operational solution.

This narrative review explores the development of a digital medical consumables asset management system. The authors synthesize a conceptual framework based on information ecology theory, which centers on the interplay between information platforms, digital technology, responsible actors, and the social environment.

The proposed framework includes design principles such as thresholds, targets, automated responses, and organizational arrangements. These elements are intended to guide the structure of asset management systems within healthcare settings.

The authors acknowledge several limitations, noting that the work is not a systematic or exhaustive synthesis of evidence. Furthermore, the framework is not a validated operational solution, and the proposed design principles have not been empirically confirmed as standards.

For clinical and administrative practice, this review serves as a conceptual reference and a hypothesis-generating roadmap. It may assist in the local adaptation of management systems, though it does not provide evidence-based operational protocols.

Managing medical supplies is a complex task. Hospitals need to ensure that essential items are available when and where they are needed most. This study explores a new way to organize these resources by looking at the relationship between digital technology, the people using it, and the social environment.

Researchers developed a conceptual framework based on information ecology. This framework focuses on four main pillars: the information platform, the digital technology, the responsible actors, and the social environment. The goal is to create a roadmap for building a digital management system for medical consumables.

It is important to note that this is a narrative review, which means it provides a conceptual starting point rather than a tested, real-world solution. The design principles suggested are not yet proven by data. This work serves as a guide for future research to help hospitals adapt these ideas to their specific local needs.

What this means for you:
A new framework uses information ecology to create a roadmap for managing medical supplies with digital tools.

Study Details

Study typeSystematic review
EvidenceLevel 1
PublishedOct 2026
View Original Abstract ↓
Medical consumables constitute a core object of hospital asset management, and the traditional extensive management model can no longer meet the requirements of refined management in modern hospitals. This narrative review aims to construct a conceptual theoretical framework based on information ecology theory, to analyze the patterns of information flow in the field of medical consumables management, and build a digital asset management ecosystem centered on the four elements of “information platform–digital technology–responsible actor–social environment”. As a narrative review, it synthesizes selected literature and policy documents rather than providing a systematic or exhaustive synthesis of evidence. The conceptual contribution of this framework is to address the “technology-heavy, system-light” limitation of existing research by shifting toward ecological governance through the coordination of the four elements, and proposing an operating mechanism in which the information chain links the closed loop of asset management. The framework is illustrated through a worked example of high-value consumable use during cesarean section. The framework is illustrated through a worked example of high-value consumable use during cesarean section. It provides a conceptual reference and a hypothesis-generating roadmap for future research and local adaptation, rather than a validated operational solution. All thresholds, targets, automated responses, and organizational arrangements mentioned in this article are proposed design principles for future validation, not empirically confirmed standards.
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