A hospital consultant said standardization actually leads to better outcomes. In fact, improved outcomes at Seattles's Virginia Mason Medical Center show that lean works just as well in healthcare as it does in manufacturing, according to an article on the Star Phoenix website.
While some fear the lean emphasis on "standard work" stifles innovation, Paul Plsek, a consultant with Virginia Mason, quoted a surgeon saying standardization actually leads to better outcomes.
The key is for a hospital's standard work flow to always be improved with further innovations, and nothing ever becomes "the way we've always done it," Plsek said
To the criticism that lean ignores the human element of care, he said lean actually defines value from the customer's — or in this case the patient's — perspective.
UF Health Hospitals Rely on Green Globes to Realize Their Full Potential
How Healthcare Facilities Can Be Truly Disaster-Resilient
TriasMD Breaks Ground on DISC Surgery Center for San Fernando Valley
Bigfork Valley Hospital Falls Victim to Data Breach
AI-Driven Facilities: Strategic Planning and Cost Management