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A Practical Guide to Applying Lean Tools and Management Principles to Health Care Improvement Projects
Author(s) -
Simon Ross W.,
Canacari Elena G.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
aorn journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.222
H-Index - 43
eISSN - 1878-0369
pISSN - 0001-2092
DOI - 10.1016/j.aorn.2011.05.021
Subject(s) - lean manufacturing , process management , process (computing) , value stream mapping , root cause analysis , root (linguistics) , health care , work (physics) , ishikawa diagram , action (physics) , accountability , plan (archaeology) , root cause , action plan , computer science , control (management) , management science , operations management , risk analysis (engineering) , business , engineering , management , political science , philosophy , law , history , linguistics , forensic engineering , archaeology , operating system , quantum mechanics , mechanical engineering , physics , economics , artificial intelligence
Manufacturing organizations have used Lean management principles for years to help eliminate waste, streamline processes, and cut costs. This pragmatic approach to structured problem solving can be applied to health care process improvement projects. Health care leaders can use a step‐by‐step approach to document processes and then identify problems and opportunities for improvement using a value stream process map. Leaders can help a team identify problems and root causes and consider additional problems associated with methods, materials, manpower, machinery, and the environment by using a cause‐and‐effect diagram. The team then can organize the problems identified into logical groups and prioritize the groups by impact and difficulty. Leaders must manage action items carefully to instill a sense of accountability in those tasked to complete the work. Finally, the team leaders must ensure that a plan is in place to hold the gains.