06 Nov Six Sigma Lean Models Applicable To Emergency Room Care
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Devon A. Klein
Devon A. Klein, MD, MPH
Asst. Professor of Radiology and Orthopaedics
Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine
Associate Chairman, Radiology
Lenox Hill Hospital
New York, NY 10075
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: As our Emergency Department continued to grow our Radiology Department was challenged to accommodate the resultant increased volume with fixed resources (i.e. CT Scanners) and maintain CT scan throughput. Uncoordinated insular efforts within the Department of Radiology failed to resolve the problem. A collaborative approach utilizing Six Sigma lean and involving stakeholders from the Departments of Radiology, Emergency, Medicine, and Patient Transportation was able to better illustrate the “bottlenecks” and devise solutions.
MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?
Response: Manufacturing models such as Six Sigma Lean are applicable to the healthcare industry. A multidisciplinary approach to identify variance and waste in a process is essential to eliminate inconsistencies and provide better service to our patients.
MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?
Response: In particular this study demonstrates that we can learn from our successes as well as our failures. While we witnessed a sustainable and continued improvement as a result of implementing our Six Sigma strategies, a major operational change such as an additional CT scanner located in the Emergency Department had an even greater impact on reducing patient throughput. However, our continued investigation has revealed variance in the new process which we will continue to evaluate and work to further reduce throughput and improve patient care, quality, and satisfaction.
MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community.
Citation:
Utilizing Six Sigma Lean Strategies to Expedite Emergency Department CT Scan Throughput in a Tertiary Care Facility
Devon Klein, MD, MPH Press enter key for correspondence information
Vandana Khan, EMBA, RT(R)(M)
Department of Radiology, Lenox Hill Hospital, Northwell Healthcare, New York, New York
Note: Content is Not intended as medical advice. Please consult your health care provider regarding your specific medical condition and questions.
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Last Updated on November 6, 2016 by Marie Benz MD FAAD