Know the Benefits of Adopting Six Sigma in Healthcare Industry

Currently, according to the report, it is known that many hospitals and healthcare practices have adopted Six Sigma to reduce waste and improve quality care. There are various benefits of using Six Sigma in the healthcare industry.

In this article, we have discussed various roles of Six Sigma that are proven crucial in the healthcare industry. By implementing the Six Sigma principles in healthcare settings, one can quickly eliminate defects as well as variations can be known during the processes. In this way, it can help to make the procedure budget-friendly, more streamlined, and it will also improve patient care.

But are you aware of Six Sigma principles, and how does it help in the healthcare industry? If not, then let’s have a quick look at the following information.

Employing Six Sigma principles 

It is that known fact that when Six Sigma is applied in the healthcare industry, then it has the right to eliminate any of the variations and defects in the process. It also contains the ability to streamline the procedure by making it efficient and budget-friendly. Now, let’s see how Six Sigma green belt helps to improve patient care by minimizing the risk!

Take the example of any hospital or healthcare practice, when it comes to defects in the procedure; it always leads to the dissatisfaction of the patients. Following are defects which makes patients suffer more:

• Incorrect diagnosis 
• Long waiting phase 
• Incorrect treatment

Above defects are somewhat frustrating and quite severe as well. Thus, it is essential to eliminate such defects and make a way to improve patient care by adopting Six Sigma. Now, let’s see how Six Sigma makes the healthcare system better.

How does Six Sigma make the healthcare system better?

When it comes to the possibility of variance in the patient care industry, it is much higher compared to any other industry. This happens due to the small size of variables which makes quantification difficult. And hence, this is where Six Sigma steps in.

The improvement can be measured by analytics as well as business experts with the help of a data-driven approach of Six Sigma. You have to go through 5 main steps for improving the quality of patient care with the help of Six Sigma, and they are as followed:  

• Define 

In this step, the process would be appropriately defined about the patient’s identity and what are the patient’s requirements. The most crucial part is to know the capabilities of the process, which has been measured by the analyst, should also be defined.

There should be a proper and crystal-clear definition of the process’s objectives. This would help the team to maintain its focus on a particular goal.

• Measure

It is crucial to measure improvements in the process. It would measure the data which would show one’s efforts in the process. Metrics which are often used to define performance in the healthcare industry include:

• Service level 
• Service cost 
• Clinical excellence 
• Patient satisfaction 

Above given are the metrics which are often included in measuring the performance. Meanwhile, there are also other metrics which are being used to measure the performance, and that depends on which type of healthcare or hospital it is.

• Analyze 

This is the most crucial step which needs a proper amount of focus. In this step, the data which has been collected needs to be appropriately analysed with the help of the best Six Sigma tools for better efficiency.

• Improve 

The main motto of implementing Six Sigma in the healthcare procedure is to improve the quality of patient care. Hence, in this step, this main motto is kept in mind, and several changes are made to improve the healthcare system. In this way, Six Sigma would help to improve patient care.

• Control 

Control is the last but primary step of this entire procedure. All performances are needed to be monitored so that a steady level of improvement and growth is maintained.

Hence, the above were five steps for improving the patient’s care quality by adopting Six Sigma. Now, let’s have a look at how Lean Six Sigma helps to improve healthcare business as well as patient care approach.

Role of lean Six Sigma in improving healthcare business 

Following are the functions of Lean Six Sigma that helps to improve the quality of patient’s care and healthcare business: 

• It improves the time management regarding diagnostic labs as well as departments. 
• And It reduces the error, which is usually caused by a doctor, technicians as well as nurses.
• It helps to reduce the waiting time of a doctor’s appointment.
• It declines several steps which would make the process quicker. 
• Helps to improve the patient’s satisfaction level. 

Six Sigma contributes to the massive role for the patients. Due to Six Sigma patient can easily access specific information to a healthcare provider in a much easier way. Now, let’s have a quick look at several factors which shows the effects of Six Sigma in Healthcare.

About the effects of Six Sigma in Healthcare

Many healthcare organizations have adopted Six Sigma, and the following are the reports shown by particular healthcare organization:

• Rhode Island- The women and Infants hospital: 

This organization got a better result by adopting Six Sigma, which was approximately 35%. The main aim of this hospital was to implement the tools of Six Sigma for better embryo transfer.

• New Heaven medical centre of Yale:

With the help of Six Sigma, this organization saved $1.2 million a year. Moreover, Six Sigma projects usually implement in surgical intensive care, and in this unit, the result was incredible. It resulted in 75% of the reduction of bloodstream infection.

• Rapides regional medical center:

This organization adopted the Six Sigma methodology to decline the emergency department defects. With the help of Six Sigma, the waiting time was shortened, providers saw with more patients and saved more than $950,000 a year.

• Mount Carmel health system: 

This organization adopted Six Sigma methodologies to improve the operating system as well as business development, and after two years of Six Sigma project, they saved $1.3 million.

Hence, the above were some examples of the organization who achieved success by adopting Six Sigma methodologies. 

Takeaway 

Six Sigma is the perfect fit in the healthcare industry as it helps the organization in understanding the patients’ needs and their expectations regarding quality care. In this way, the healthcare organizations would be able to provide a better quality of patient’s care. In this way, patients would have satisfaction regarding treatment and care quality.

Moreover, Six Sigma has implemented the most crucial role in the impacts of healthcare management, direct patient’s care, operation and saving money by implementing the proper plan. Hence, the above was everything regarding the benefits of adopting Six Sigma in Healthcare industry.