Integrated Lean Six Sigma Approach for Patient Flow Improvement in Hospital Emergency Department

Lean Six Sigma and the Quest for Continuous Improvement

Lean six sigma process improvement in specimen receiving to improve stat chemistry turnaround times

  Objective: As a consequence of stat turnaround times (TATs) chronically exceeding 60 minutes, our laboratory was facing pressure to divert limited resources toward the implementation of an emergency department satellite laboratory. Peer-reviewed literature in clinical laboratory quality assurance and improvement indicates that between 60-70% of errors occur at the pre-analytical level.  Thus...

Lean, six sigma and lean sigma: fads or real process improvement methods?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore if six sigma and lean are new methods, or if they are repackaged versions of previously popular methods – total quality management (TQM) and just-in-time (JIT). Design/methodology/approach – The study is based on a critical comparison of lean with JIT and six sigma with TQM, a study of the measure of the publication frequency – the number of aca...

Lean Six Sigma Terminology

Affinity Diagram – A tool used to organize and present large amounts of data (ideas, issues, solutions, problems) into logical categories based on user perceived relationships and conceptual frame working. Often used in the form of “sticky notes” sent up to the front of the room in brainstorming exercises, and then grouped by facilitator and workers. Final diagram shows relationship between the...

Reducing Patient Waiting Time in Outpatient Department Using Lean Six Sigma Methodology

This article addresses the issue of longer patient waiting time in the outpatient department (OPD) of a super specialty hospital attached to a manufacturing company in India. Due to longer waiting times at OPD, employees need to be away from the workplace for a longer duration. This problem was addressed through the Lean Six Sigma (LSS) methodology. The process, starting from registration of a ...