| Our healthcare systems are not designed to make
the process or ‘value stream’ of care flow
smoothly. Healthcare services are often ‘queue and
batch’, with patients spending most of their time waiting
until the Healthcare Professional is ready – i.e. push versus
pull. As the population matures, patient cycle time becomes a key
measurement that needs to improve – whether it is in the
hospital itself, post care facilities or laboratories. Further, space
is at a premium in running all of the functions within a hospital
facility.
Our belief is that Lean Healthcare can provide a
solution to some of these concerns with minimal cost but maximum
benefit.
Therefore, the essence of Lean Thinking as applied
to healthcare is to:
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