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Institute for Healthcare Improvement Article This article from the IHI talks about the need to find "muda" (waste) in hospitals. They say:
In the health care arena, not a patient among us - or nurse, receptionist, surgeon, physical therapist, attendant or executive - is immune from muda. It is so pervasive and deeply rooted in the machinery of care delivery that we expect it, become skilled at accommodating it, dutifully suffering the consequences. Organizational scientists have defined five categories of muda, and there are plenty examples of each within the health care system:
Delay: idle time spent waiting for something, such as utilization reviews, insurer payments, test results, patient bed assignments, OR prep, medical appointments.
Re-work: performing the same task a second time, such as re-testing, re-scheduling, re-filing of lost claim forms, re-writing of patient demographic data, multiple bed moves.
Overproduction: manufacturing of products or information that is not needed, such as precautionary "defensive" medical tests, surplus medications, excessive levels of paperwork.
Movement: unnecessary transport of people, products or information, such as requiring patients to see a primary care provider before seeing a specialist who is clearly needed.
Defects: design of goods that do not meet customer needs, such as medication errors, wrong side surgery, poor clinical outcomes.
10:56:38 AM
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Thursday, September 20, 2007
