Written by Shenzhen Hospital of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine committed to developing a Lean culture through training, project-based improvements, and a robust coaching system.Â
Shenzhen Hospital adopted the principle of “Quality is life, technology is bones, service is blood, culture is soul” to drive their pursuit of high-quality healthcare.
They trained 56 Lean Green Belts – individuals who would champion lean principles within their departments and serve as leaders in process improvement. Nurses and doctors also accounted for half of the trained cohort, reflecting a broad, multidisciplinary approach to lean healthcare. The training is helping the hospital move away from decision-making based solely on experience and towards data-driven approaches.
They discussed specific projects to explain how the hospital used Lean methods to reduce waiting times, improve efficiency, and increase patient satisfaction.
Here are some results of their projects:
- Reduction in average treatment time by 20 minutes
- Over 10,000 days of patient waiting time saved annually
- Over 50 million yuan saved for patients
- Over 33,000 working days saved for medical staff
They also discussed the “4+6+3” Coaching System that incorporates expert coaching, internal training sessions, and regular debriefings to support project teams and reinforce lean principles. Check out the article for more details about the structure of the training program to help ensure the ongoing application and sustainability of Lean.
Additionally, the article discusses the broader adoption of Lean healthcare in China.
You can read the entire article at https://www.planet-lean.com/articles/boosting-care-quality-using-lean-thinking