Integrating DMAIC approach of Lean Six Sigma and theory of constraints toward quality improvement in healthcare

Abstract

Healthcare is a unique service industry and it deals with complex tasks. To overcome complex tasks, healthcare organizations need to implement DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) approach of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) to improve quality performance. Application of DMAIC in a healthcare organization provides guidelines on how to handle a quality service system toward patient satisfaction. This approach also helps healthcare service providers to reduce waste, variation and work imbalance in the service processes. This chapter discusses five phases of DMAIC approach and its integration with the theory of constraints (TOC) for continuous improvements in healthcare performance. The integration of TOC and DMAIC approach would enhance healthcare performance by reducing medical costs, medical errors, administration errors and defects. Moreover, this integration can improve performance in healthcare service processes where it is not possible to reduce bottlenecks.

Keywords: DMAIC approach; Lean Six Sigma; healthcare; quality improvement; theory of constraints.