Insights

Hospitals Trending Toward Process Strategies to  Improve Quality and Save Money

What do the auto and airline industries have in common with hospitals? An increasing focus on driving efficiency by capturing data and removing process variation.

Many hospitals are using a combination of Lean and Six Sigma processes called "Lean Sigma." Lean emphasizes removing waste from organizations and processes while focusing on delivering more value. Six Sigma focuses on variation reduction in processes, products and services.

Both require training and an understanding by all departments of the hospital's goals. When you think about throughput and patient safety, a number of support service areas are crucial to driving outcomes. The environmental service and call center operations, for example, must function in tandem to help turn rooms. The patient transport function is important to maintain patient safety during those key patient transfer moments when errors can occur.