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Improving ED specimen TAT using Lean Six Sigma.

Janet H Sanders¹, Tedd Karr

¹Department of Technology Systems, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA.

International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance

|May 29, 2015

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Lean and Six Sigma methodologies significantly reduced Emergency Department specimen turnaround times. This case study highlights improvements in vial usage, specimen waste, and order accuracy, enhancing overall healthcare processes.

Keywords:

Healthcare LSS Lean Six Sigma Turnaround time

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Area of Science:

Healthcare Management
Process Improvement Methodologies
Clinical Laboratory Science

Background:

Continuous improvement methodologies like Lean and Six Sigma are increasingly applied in healthcare.
These methods offer powerful tools for optimizing complex hospital processes.

Purpose of the Study:

To apply Lean and Six Sigma tools to reduce turnaround time (TAT) for Emergency Department (ED) specimens.
To identify system-wide improvements in the ED to laboratory specimen handling.

Main Methods:

A Lean Six Sigma project was implemented in a 1,000-bed tertiary care teaching hospital.
The Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control (DMAIC) framework of Six Sigma was utilized.
Lean principles were employed to identify and eliminate waste through rapid change implementation.

Main Results:

Achieved a 50% decrease in vials used and unused specimens.
Reduced ED specimens without orders by 90%.
Decreased median Complete Blood Count Analysis (CBCA) TAT by 30% and its variation by 50%.

Conclusions:

The integration of Six Sigma's quantitative rigor and Lean's speed successfully improved the blood draw process.
Demonstrated practical applications of process improvement methodologies applicable to various hospital settings.
Highlights the emerging research and value of these methodologies in healthcare.