Journal article
The sustainable improvement of patient flow in an emergency treatment centre using Lean
International journal of six sigma and competitive advantage, Vol.4(3), pp.289-304
01/01/2008
DOI: 10.1504/IJSSCA.2008.021841
Abstract
We report the two-year experience of an academic emergency treatment centre with using Lean - a technique that focuses on adding value and eliminating waste in a service line - to continuously improve patient flow. Lean helped us make changes in the process that were designed and adopted by our frontline providers. Two years after we adopted Lean, our total length of stay has decreased 3% despite an 18% increase in the patient volume and a 22% increase in admissions per month. The implementation of Lean has also been associated with a 9% decrease in the direct expense per patient (from $112 to $102.50) and a 9% increase in patient satisfaction. We conclude that Lean, when applied as a value-driven tool and adopted by the frontline workers in accordance to the local culture of care delivery: (1) yields the enhancement of patient flow and patient satisfaction that is sustainable beyond its short-term effects and (2) adds value; patients receive higher quality care at a lower cost.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- The sustainable improvement of patient flow in an emergency treatment centre using Lean
- Creators
- Eric W Dickson - University of IowaZlatko Anguelov - Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of MedicinePatricia Bott - Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of MedicineAndrew Nugent - University of IowaDavid Walz - Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of MedicineSabi Singh - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- International journal of six sigma and competitive advantage, Vol.4(3), pp.289-304
- DOI
- 10.1504/IJSSCA.2008.021841
- ISSN
- 1479-2494
- eISSN
- 1479-2753
- Publisher
- Inderscience Publishers
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 01/01/2008
- Academic Unit
- Health Management and Policy; Emergency Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9984297136102771
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