[The organizational benefits of the Kaizen approach at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke (CHUS)]

Abstract

Aim: The purpose of this study was to calculate the cost savings associated with using the kaizen approach in our hospital.

Methods: Originally developed in Japan, the kaizen approach, based on the idea of continuous improvement, has considerable support in North America, including in the Quebec health care system. This study assessed the first fifteen kaizen projects at the CHUS.

Results: Based on an economic evaluation, we showed that using the kaizen approach can result in substantial cost savings.

Conclusion: The success of the kaizen approach requires compliance with specific prerequisites. The future of the approach will depend on our ability to comply with these prerequisites. More specifically, such compliance will determine whether the approach is merely a passing fad or a strategy for improving our management style to promote greater efficiency.