Lean approach touted as a benefit by hospitals

Hospitals frequently have a lot of moving pieces, ranging from doctors and nurses to administrators and receptionists. Getting all these parts working together can be difficult, with many healthcare organizations looking to bolster efficiency and provide a higher quality of care than they currently can.

Lean healthcare may be the solution to their problems. As Healthcare Finance News notes, more facilities are leveraging the Lean approach as a means of managing staff and developing a smooth workflow environment.

“Lean initiatives involve hospitals identifying and standardizing processes with the end goal being streamlined operation,” the news source explains. “Much like there are inefficiencies and gaps in delivering healthcare, there are inefficiencies throughout the design process as well. When going Lean, different techniques involved range from simulations and modeling to flexibility, modularity, standardization and more.”

Although Lean has typically been used by manufacturing companies as a way to streamline operations – Toyota was the pioneer of Lean systems – healthcare organizations are now beginning to note the benefits of going Lean. The adoption of new electronic technologies has cost hospitals thousands of dollars, and now they are looking to make up for these losses by streamlining operations in an effort to do more with fewer resources.

Lean practices can benefit hospitals in two primary ways: Better communication and improved patient experiences. Lean can help companies to cut redundant and wasteful processes, which means less waiting times for patients. Additionally, it can improve communication between staff, which enables the various people within an organization to collaborate more effectively.

“A newly designed hospital that touted its Lean design methodologies recently was Virtua Voorhees replacement hospital in New Jersey,” the news source adds. “Virtua Voorhees officials used simulation and modeling geared towards patient and clinician movement to identify inefficiencies and change department layout, maximizing staff and patient flow.”

Kansas hospitals are currently feeling the effects of a staffing crisis resulting from a significant number of employees taking advantage of an early retirement program. Lean policies may help in situations such as these, as they could help healthcare organizations restructure and eliminate wasteful policies that hinder productivity.