Lean Management in Surgical Practices

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School of Business | Bachelor's thesis
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Date

2024

Major/Subject

Mcode

Degree programme

Tieto- ja palvelujohtaminen

Language

en

Pages

17 + 7

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Abstract

Lean is a set of tools originally developed to enhance efficiency of industrial manufacturing. Since the 2000s, Lean has been increasingly implemented into healthcare practices. Surgery is a major cost and resource utilization contributors in healthcare system. This narrative literature review examines the application of Lean methodology within surgical context by reviewing relevant case studies. For the relevant literature Scopus and PubMed databases were searched to identify case studies implementing lean directly into perioperative system. Seven case studies, spanning various fields of surgery, were selected for inclusion in this review. The results show that Lean has been successfully implemented to surgical practices evidenced by the case studies. Most studies reported improved key parameters, including reduced turnover times, decreased number of complications, shortened perioperative times, enhanced team morale and cost reductions. As a conclusion Lean management methodologies show considerable potential to improve the efficiency of surgical practices. Challenges within implementation are associated to possible resistance to change and need of extensive staff training. Future high-quality studies eliminating systemic bias are needed to further examine possibilities of Lean in surgical context.

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Thesis advisor

Viitasaari, Lauri

Keywords

lean, lean management, surgery, healthcare

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