Implementing Lean Six Sigma in Laboratories
Why Lean Six Sigma in Labs?
The combined Lean Six Sigma toolbox shares a patient-centric, value-based philosophy with rapid-fire deployment methodologies designed to rapidly transform clinical and administrative processes and improved responsiveness to deliver real, bottom-line results. The pace of change in labs today requires new thinking to solve common challenges such as:
- Increased sample volume and complexity
- Insufficient skilled staff available (e.g. only 2 incoming microbiology technicians for every 7 retiring)
- More complex regulatory environment
- Increased demand for faster results
Lean Six Sigma addresses these challenges and helps labs rapidly identify efficiency and effectiveness improvements with significant, sustainable results.
Labs that have implemented Lean Six Sigma have achieved the following results:
- A medical reference laboratory improved turnaround time by 54% and cut costs by $250,000 per year
- A clinical lab achieved a TAT target goal of 95% achieved from 85% a year earlier
- A hospital lab improved patient satisfaction percentile rank from 15 to >60 within six months
- A reference lab achieved:
- Productivity improvement >30%
- Space savings of >450 sq ft
- Standardized work practices
- Reduction in errors and error potential
- Test turnaround time (CT) reduced by 50%
- A hospital reduced the footprint for a new lab from 60,000 sq ft to 40,000 sq ft (cost avoidance of $800,000)
- A blood bank installed a new lab without adding space (cost avoidance of $400,000)
Click here to download a Lean Lab Design Case Study
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