Title: Deploying Lean Six Sigma framework in a healthcare organisation: a case experience

Authors: Vikas Swarnakar; A.R. Singh; Anil Kr Tiwari

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Raipur, GE Road, Raipur-492010, Chhattisgarh, India ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Raipur, GE Road, Raipur-492010, Chhattisgarh, India ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Raipur, GE Road, Raipur-492010, Chhattisgarh, India

Abstract: Healthcare organisations have struggled with service quality problems to achieve operational excellence. Redundant waiting of patients is scathing to throughput and sustain organisations in a competitive environment. This study utilised a structured Lean Six Sigma DMAIC approach to reduce patient waiting time and improve service quality through systematic analysis of the problem of gynecology and obstetrics department of a multinational hospital. The structured implementation of the LSS framework was observed with significant improvement in different aspects. The outcomes of the study revealed that 117% improvement in patient waiting time was observed for already appointed patients on weekdays whereas 68% in the case of arrived patients on Saturdays only. Further, 90% improvement was observed for walk-in patients who arrived on weekdays whereas 65% in the case of patients arrived on Saturdays only. The improvements were also calculated in terms of benefits, the average profit per year calculated as INR 36,939,600 that leading to an anticipated INR 292,981,025 by 2028. The findings of this study encourage researchers, practitioners, and decision-makers to employ the same method in other healthcare organisations to achieve the benefits.

Keywords: Lean Six Sigma; LSS; service quality; healthcare organisation; patient waiting time; bottom-line results.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSSCA.2021.120574

International Journal of Six Sigma and Competitive Advantage, 2021 Vol.13 No.4, pp.412 - 434

Received: 12 Sep 2020
Accepted: 27 Feb 2021
Published online: 26 Jan 2022 *