LEAN Healthcare Innovation

The American healthcare system is under siege. For a high quality, open access system that emphasizes patient freedom of choice to survive, it must change. This book presents the argument for why a variant of the Toyota Production System, LEAN Healthcare Innovation, may be the answer to save US healthcare. This is a modification of LEAN that provides a better opportunity for success through a focus on system management, cultural transformation, personal development of the staff with a focus on innovation. The evidence to support this approach includes a review of successes and failures of prior improvement, change and LEAN efforts in healthcare. Details are provided regarding Leadership, management and organizational staff’s impact on the successes and failures of prior improvement and change efforts. Specific insights for future success include Leadership “standard work”, A new formula for determining the probability for successful change, a new definition of waste in healthcare, a new definition for successful patient outcomes and a new model for organizational change. The critical concepts of cultural change, team approaches, “a questioning culture” and the importance of personal change related to future success in organizational activities are presented. The epilogue includes an assessment of the current and predicted state for US healthcare and the argument for making the decision to implement the program, which is supported by evidence of how LEAN Healthcare Innovation has already been successful.