Written by In healthcare, words are used to describe colors like “a sort of dark yellow” and “probably amber” which creates inaccurate communication and less optimal clinical decisions.
There was a lack of standardization in the colors, and efforts were made to resolve this problem, which is at the heart of any lean improvement.
A website called “What Colour Is It?” was developed to present validated color palettes for urine, faeces, and sputum. Every shade in the palette is tied to a specific HEX code.
They took these prototype palettes to an expert group of 13 senior nurses across paediatric, acute, medicine, surgical, and neonatal care. Their feedback was unanimous: 100% found it beneficial, with the majority stating they would use it daily.
By applying a visual control, they achieved several things simultaneously:
- Standardization: Everyone is working off the same reference.
- Efficiency: It speeds up the history-taking process.
- Dignity: It reduces the social friction and embarrassment for the patient.
- Safety: It highlights important symptoms that might otherwise be lost in translation and ensures more accurate records of patient descriptions.
The reception to the launch of the proof-of-concept site has been very positive, and they are continuing to gather feedback from the global healthcare community to make updates.
You can read the entire article at https://www.planet-lean.com/articles/what-color-is-it