Six Sigma in Health Literature, What Matters?

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Management Science
• Bibliometrics

Background:

• Six Sigma is a widely adopted methodology for quality and process improvement in healthcare.
• Understanding factors driving academic and societal impact of Six Sigma in health research is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify determinants of academic and societal impact for Six Sigma health studies.
• To compare factors influencing traditional academic metrics versus alternative metrics (altmetrics).

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search (PRISMA statement) across three databases (1998-2019).
• Identified 212 relevant papers.
• Zero-inflated negative binomial regressions to analyze bibliometric and content factors influencing impact metrics.

Main Results:

• Alternative metrics' influencing factors are more complex than traditional metrics.
• Paper content, especially focus on process improvement, time, and waste reduction, significantly explains impact.
• Bibliometric characteristics were less influential than content.

Conclusions:

• Content-related aspects, particularly process improvement focus, are key drivers of Six Sigma health research impact.
• Understanding these drivers can enhance the visibility and societal contribution of health management research.