If you’ve ever spent time in a crowded doctor’s office or an emergency room, you know that healthcare is not always efficient. And, of all industries where efficiency should rule and zero defects be allowed, healthcare tops the list.
Not only do patients want mistakes eliminated and efficiency improved, but so do medical staff and administration.
With a palpable need for improvement, it’s curious why the entire healthcare industry has not undergone a systematic quality-improvement campaign as many other industries have. Though technology and medicine continue to advance, process adjustments (for the most part) continue to limp along, and all while demand and expectations for better medical care increase.
There are numerous potential Six Sigma projects just waiting to happen within any healthcare facility. These projects might include surgical procedures, patient handling, information flow, medication administration and patient charge items. In other words, just about any process in healthcare can be a candidate for a Six Sigma project.
But it’s not just the obvious things that can benefit from Six Sigma. Here are a few not-so-obvious ways that Six Sigma can help benefit the healthcare industry.
Facilitates a Culture Shift
All industries are made up of people, not processes. For any real transformation to take place, there must be a seamless flow of information and interaction between people. This is a particularly critical factor in a healthcare organization. Six Sigma can facilitate this transformation. By initiating an organization-wide cultural shift, Six Sigma is able to achieve certified bottom-line business results. It is also able to provide the necessary tools and methodology to achieve long-term improvements.
Addresses the Unique Challenges
The healthcare industry faces some very unique challenges, which is why many facilities have not had much success when applying other quality improvement methods. But, although Six Sigma has its roots in manufacturing, it works just as effectively in healthcare and allows organizations to achieve real process improvement in a relatively short amount of time.
Defines a Vision
Six Sigma not only creates a culture of learning via well-defined road maps, it defines a vision for the future of an organization and identifies specific goals and quantitative measures to reach those goals in the shortest amount of time possible.
Successful Six Sigma Requirements
For any Six Sigma project to be successful, a formal plan must be established that will identify the overall program goals and timeline. It’s important that these goals and timeline are aligned with tangible organizational performance measures, and that all team members fully committed with a long-term vision. Management must commit to proper training and leadership. Organizations that focus time, resources, and tools on a well-planned Six Sigma project can drive savings to the bottom line and achieve long-lasting change.
Six Sigma is a proven method of reducing defects and waste while increasing customer satisfaction, all while saving money and driving revenue. Healthcare quality management teams responsible for implementing real change within their organizations should learn the language of Six Sigma and become change leaders who inspire team members and integrate new methods to improve operational processes. Six Sigma has indeed helped the manufacturing, service and retail industries, and now it’s time for the healthcare industry to fully embrace this powerful methodology to positively impact our healthcare industry.
