Quality improvement in healthcare: Six Sigma systematic review

Abstract

Six Sigma has been widely used in the healthcare sector as a management tool to improve patient quality and safety. The objective of this study is to identify opportunities for its implementation through literature analysis. A literature review has been carried out since the first publication of Six Sigma in the sector appeared until 2017, 20 years in all. To this end, it has been used three databases: MEDLINE, Web of Science (Core Collection) and Scopus. Accordance with the 196 articles of our database, it is found that: (1) Six Sigma publications in healthcare sector have been carried out mostly in the USA, (2) multiple specialities and services have used this tool, among them, we can emphasize the operating room and radiology service, (3) the case study has been the most used methodology and, (4) the objectives are focused mainly on achieving reductions of time, costs and errors, for the improvement of the quality and the satisfaction of the patients. This review seeks to serve healthcare professionals to know the benefits that Six Sigma can generate in processes that take place in a health center, hospital or other organizations in the sector.

Keywords: Bibliometric; Literature review; Quality improvement; Six Sigma; healthcare.