Lean Six Sigma Principles On Improving Turnaround Times At...

Researchers Lamm, Eckel, and Amerine desired to explore the effectiveness of Lean Six Sigma principles on improving turnaround times at a busy U.S. infusion clinic. The team implemented a three-phase study in which they first analyzed turnaround times for a period of 12 months. Next, they implemented several Lean tools including a five-day Kaizen event to identify potential ways to reduce turn around times from 60 to the new goal of 45 minutes. During the last phase the researches implemented strategies identified during the Kaizen event. The study revealed positive results! Implementation of Lean principles identified process-improvement strategies that improved department workflow and successfully reduced chemotherapy turnaround time†¦show more content†¦These methodologies have led to procedure changes in response to inconsistencies identified through Six Sigma’s strategies. However, the researchers noted that sometimes changes where implemented without sufficient statistical evidence to support the change. Yet in other cases some statistical findings were over exaggerated. Therefore, they advise that care should be taken to determine the practicality of changes. This study provides the reader with enough evidence to support the use of Six Sigma in healthcare while highlighting some of the potential pitfalls of the methodology. The purpose of this study was to develop long-term solutions targeted at improving care outcomes in a high-risk Neurotrauma Intensive Care Unit (NTICU). The authors utilized Six Sigma strategies, specifically Define-Measure-Analyze-Control (DMAIC), to reduce central line use and curb central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLASBI). The driving factors for the study are increasing pressures from the Institute of Medicine and the Joint Commission to reduce hospital-associated infections. Initiatives derived from the use of Six Sigma’s DMAIC process were responsible for reducing the NTICU CLASBI rate below national benchmarks. Ultimately, these initiatives resulted in a total savings of $204,092 in costs related to avoidable infections. Project outcomes were also significant for reducing the overall NTICU length of stay to 7.2 days—an additional cost savings of