How Can Lean Six Sigma Affect The Healthcare Industry?

Lean Six Sigma as we all know is seen to be used in a wide range of industries to improve processes by eliminating wastes and reducing errors; thus leading to increase revenue and satisfied customers. One such segment is the healthcare industry, where medical errors can lead to loss of lives, along with costing billions to the industry every year! Because this industry involves critical cases of life and death, Lean Six Sigma principles are critically important to reduce defects that result in such medical errors. When healthcare professionals like hospital administrators, medical practitioners, and practice managers use Lean Six Sigma methodologies in their organizations, they can make a huge difference.

What improvements can Lean Six Sigma bring about?

Lean Six Sigma when used correctly in the healthcare industry can result in a variety of advantages.

• They can reduce waiting times in hospitals.
• They can prevent injuries in hospitals.
• They can reduce unnecessary expenses.
• They can increase turnaround time for lab results.
• They can reduce medication errors when filling prescriptions and administering drugs.

How does the DMAIC model help?

The DMAIC model (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) of Lean Six Sigma can be used effectively for improving existing processes, even in the healthcare industry.

• Define – Defining problems with the current processes and developing a process map with details of each step can help set effective goals by updating records, reviewing insurance information, collecting co-pays, and more.
• Measure – Measuring the performance of the current processes and gathering data for every step can help identify bottlenecks that are slowing down the process.
• Analyze – Once the data is collected at each step, it can be analyzed to identify the root causes of bottlenecks, resulting in categorizing of elements that need to be eliminated, and those that need to be streamlined.
• Improve – After listing down the events that need to take place, relevant solutions can be developed and tested to improve current processes.
• Control – Controlling the new procedures to see that the process stays on track is the last but the most important step. Frequent monitoring and documentation of every improvement is vital to determine the effectiveness of the new process over time.

This DMAIC model can be utilized at various places in the healthcare industry right from streamlining check-ins to making clinical research cost-effective to lowering appointment cancellations, and every other possible process.

Which healthcare professionals require Lean Six Sigma certification?

Healthcare professionals with Lean Six Sigma certification in India, from qualified organizations like TQMI, are highly in demand today. Employees in consulting, clinical operations, patient experience, and quality management can advance into leadership positions in the healthcare industry with Lean Six Sigma training. If you belong to or are expecting to belong to any of the below mentioned titles, you definitely require a Lean Six Sigma certification.

• Director of Quality
• Director of Quality Management
• Vice President of Quality
• Quality Improvement Consultant
• Chief Patient Experience Officer
• Senior Director of Patient Experience
• Senior Manager of Operational Excellence
• Associate Vice President of Strategic Process Improvement
• Process Consultant
• Clinical Transformation Consultant