Lean Six Sigma for Intravenous Therapy Optimization: A Hospital Use of Lean Thinking to Improve Occlusion Management

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...

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 in healthcare.

Healthcare, as with any other service operation, requires systematic innovation efforts to remain competitive, cost efficient, and up-to-date. This article outlines a methodology and presents examples to illustrate how principles of Lean Thinking and Six Sigma can be combined to provide an effective framework for producing systematic innovation efforts in healthcare. Controlling healthcare cost...

Lean six Sigma to reduce blood wastage.

Using lean six sigma to improve throughput efficiency at tertiary care eye hospital

Objective: To determine the impact of Lean Sigma (LS) on waiting time of patients at different stations of outpatient department (OPD), pre-surgical area and operation room (OR). Methods: In this prospective quality study Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve and Control (DMAIC) model of lean sigma was used for improvement. Lead time of patients during measure phase of DMAIC was assessed using time...