Lean implementation in quality improvement of laboratory.

Abstract

Lean concepts can be applied to any organization that has defined steps of process that follows to produce an end product. Lean has been expended and adapted to meet the needs of the healthcare industry. Lean thinking is composed of the following five principles, namely: 1) specifying value from the end customer; 2) identifying all steps in the value stream and eliminate every step that does not create value (waste); 3) making the value-added steps in continuous flow; 4) letting the customer to pull up the value; 5) continuous improvement for perfection. The Department of Laboratory Medicine, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital is using the lean concepts and lean tools for improvement of patients’ satisfaction at the blood collection unit. The benefit of lean project in laboratory includes faster turn-around time of blood collection process, reduced variability, improvement of patients’ satisfaction and safety, improved employee morale. Lean is the methodology that allows laboratory to improve the quality of care for patients by reducing errors and waiting time.