Adapting the ‘Lean’ methodologies used for many years by many manufacturers on the production line – such as in the automotive industry – and deploying them in healthcare ‘spaces’ can, Roger Call, an architect at Herman Miller Healthcare in the US, argues, ‘easily remedy many of the inefficiencies’ found within a healthcare facility.
In an article that first appeared in the September 2013 issue of The Australian Hospital Engineer, he explains how ‘Lean’ approaches such as the ‘Toyota production system’, and ‘Six Sigma’, can be harnessed to good effect in the healthcare sphere.
On average, nurses travel more than five miles during one shift, and much of it is inefficient motion. Regardless of caregivers’ proficiency, systemic inefficiencies such as this are a major contributor to medical errors. Many of the inefficiencies found within a healthcare facility can be easily remedied by adapting the same ‘lean’ methodologies implemented by manufacturers on the production line.
By identifying and resolving struggles, healthcare providers can create spaces that support simplified work processes, and ultimately shift the focus to the patients.
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