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The Application of Lean in the Healthcare Sector: Theory and Practical Examples

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Book cover Lean Thinking for Healthcare

Part of the book series: Healthcare Delivery in the Information Age ((Healthcare Delivery Inform. Age))

Abstract

Many companies in the manufacturing sector, such as Toyota, have enjoyed immense financial and commercial success by utilizing lean principles to identify value for the customer, eliminate waste in the production process, and deliver high-quality products. Lean encourages participation by the “frontline” workers to generate ideas, enact changes in workflow, and constantly pursue perfection in learning systems. Modern healthcare organizations comprise complex processes and are in significant need of improvement in the domains of safe, efficient, timely, and appropriate delivery of care to patients. It is these complex processes that are targets for improvement using the systematic and scientific lean approach. Lean has been implemented in numerous healthcare organizations within the United States and other nations. From decreased patient wait times to improved patient throughput in emergency departments to more efficient bedside rounding practices, lean has improved the quality of healthcare delivery in institutions that teach its ideals and goals. By going and observing where the work is performed, asking why to determine the root cause of problems, and respecting and supporting involved parties, organizations may have a positive transformative effect on the way healthcare is delivered.

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Correspondence to Nathan Houchens M.D. .

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Houchens, N., Kim, C.S. (2014). The Application of Lean in the Healthcare Sector: Theory and Practical Examples. In: Wickramasinghe, N., Al-Hakim, L., Gonzalez, C., Tan, J. (eds) Lean Thinking for Healthcare. Healthcare Delivery in the Information Age. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8036-5_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8036-5_4

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

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