Improving healthcare service processes by lean thinking
Abstract
Patients are getting in trouble with care
processes due to waste and diversity in health care services. Although patients
feel uncomfortable with these problems, service providers do not deal with
their complaints promptly due to excessive workload and organizational
disorder. The aim of this study is to implement lean techniques to solve the
operational problems of a public hospital physical therapy and rehabilitation
service in Eskisehir, Turkey. The process is analyzed both from the patient and
service provider perspectives simultaneously in lean consumption context.
Genchi gembutsu, value stream mapping (VSM), integrated consumption and
provision map, A3 and heijunka were the lean techniques used. Mapping of the
system gives the opportunity to relax the organizational complexity.
Consequently, cognitive load of nurses is decreased with daily and weekly
assignment algorithms designed as part of heijunka implementation. Also 26.84%
of patient flow time and 14.28% of process step reduction are recorded as a result
of realized improvements.
Keywords
References
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Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
Engineering
Journal Section
Research Article
Publication Date
August 17, 2018
Submission Date
August 11, 2017
Acceptance Date
-
Published in Issue
Year 2018 Volume: 24 Number: 4