It’s another day. Another busy, hectic day in your medical practice.  Nurses, surgical technicians and doctors are all running behind and forever on the hunt for ways to save time.  Something has got to give. 

Sounds like it’s time to go lean.

Not sure what this whole “lean” thing is all about?  Thinking lean starts with driving out any waste so that all of our work adds value and serves the patient’s needs.  Beginning your journey toward lean healthcare means identifying value-added and non-value-added steps in every process. 

Lean Healthcare for Long-Term Success

The general goals of practicing lean healthcare tend to be consistent across all industries.  The goals are to improve upon the following areas: 

  • Safety
  • Quality
  • Delivery
  • Cost
  • Morale

Thinking lean is truly a cultural transformation that changes how an organization thinks and works.  There is no one left sitting on the sidelines.  It requires new skills, new habits and a new attitude throughout the entire healthcare facility.

What if you had a patient rounding tool that provided a solution for quickly relaying information AND capturing hospital charges easily? Learn more here!

 

Lean healthcare is creating an insatiable appetite for improvement amongst your entire team. 

Lean Healthcare Delivery

Delivery in healthcare means that you will provide the right care, effectively, at the right place and at the right time.  Effective delivery means reducing waiting times for appointments and any wait times and delays when in a healthcare facility. 

Lean healthcare must become part of the manner in which a healthcare facility does its work.  It must add value for employees who perform their daily activities and responsibilities. 

Be Respectful

Lean healthcare means being respectful toward everyone who participates in the system.  That means patients, team members, managers, suppliers, the community, etc.  Respect is about challenging yourself and the team to do their best and to continuously try to improve.  The practice of “kaizen”.  Show respect by: 

  • Ensuring people have what they need to do the work
  • Don’t put people in a broken process
  • Don’t overburden people
  • Give help and support when needed
  • Listen and engage people in improvement

Provide Value & Be Valuable

A large component of lean healthcare is providing value throughout the entire patient care process. This involves:

  • Examining the patient
  • Comforting the patient
  • Diagnosing the patient
  • Treating the patient
  • Educating the patient
  • Preventing future illness

By incorporating lean healthcare into your everyday processes, your business can reach goals and ultimately success.   

Learn how to streamline your practice and reclaim what’s most important to you: your time.  Download Your Complete Guide to a Streamlined Practice and a Happy Team now!

 

Dr. Gregory Sanders is a Harvard-trained, practicing cardiologist and founder and CEO of HybridChart. He has been coding since the 1980s and has spent his medical career focusing on improving processes. His patient care skills earned him recognition as one of Phoenix Magazine’s TOP DOCs. He lives in Scottsdale with his family.