Kaizen Event

2

Value Stream Current State Overview

Overview of the Process

The procedure entails: For the implementation, a six-step strategy that included Lean education, ED observation, patient flow analysis, process redesign, new process testing, and complete implementation was used. The emphasis of process redesign was on soliciting ideas for improvement from frontline employees across all departmental units. During the calendar year, patient volume, cost per patient, ED length of stay (LOS), and value-based and operational outcome metrics such as patient satisfaction were compared.

Challenges

value stream mapping from reception to patient care received is the complexity of the process. There are numerous steps involved in this process, and each one must be completed correctly in order for the patient to receive the necessary care.

The requirement for coordination between all of the hospital's departments in order for the process to run smoothly.

Lack of enough staff to help in providing service to the patient.

Bottlenecks

Reception: The reception area is where patients and visitors arrive, and it is often the busiest area in a hospital. This can become a bottleneck if there aren't enough employees to handle the volume of people.

Waiting areas: In hospital waiting rooms, there is frequently a bottleneck as patients wait to be seen by a doctor or nurse. This can be due to a lack of staff or patients who have been waiting for a long time.

Treatment areas: Treatment areas in a hospital can be a bottleneck because they are where patients receive care. This can be due to a lack of staff or patients who have been waiting for a long time.

References

Erick Dickson, Sabi Singh, Dickson Cheung, Christopher C Wyatt(2018). Application of Lean Manufacturing Techniques in the Emergency Department Value Stream Mapping.