Hi,

Will any body can share with me about lean application in Blood Bank department of a hospital. How should I start my first step towards Lean Six Sigma application .

Best Regards

Hi Sapna,

Lean is all about wastage & Turnaround Time (TAT) reduction.

Hence

1. First identify areas / processes that take too long time or results in too much wastage.

(Tip to do this : Just listen to Voice of Customers -both internal customers and external customers encompassing areas such as collection, testing, processing, storage and distribution - thereby contributing to better blood transfusion.)

Traceability systems can be further examined - an area that has already caused great concern in many hospital blood banks. Full traceability of blood and blood components from the point of receipt by the hospital blood bank to their final destination. "Assumed fate" where a component is assumed transfused if it is not returned, however, is not acceptable; neither is "auto-fating" by the blood bank computer system.

2. Choose a process that has lots of scope for improvement and requires immediate improvement.

3. Define the problem/s in the current processes correctly.

4. Just try to apply Lean tools like 5S, VA/NVA/BVA analysis, SOP, Poka-Yoke (Mistake Proof) etc.

I suggest a simple 5S and Mistake proof implementations will give you a "visible difference" in improvement which in turn should get the management buy-in to kick-off further bigger improvements.

Enjoy your work.

Ari

Hi Ari,

Thank you so much for your valuable advice.

Brgrds

Sapana

Hello,

I would like to share ideas about  using Lean Six Sigma in Blood Banking, with focus on the external client. I'm having trouble in choosing the scope of the process.

Thanks a lot.

may i know wat ur actual trouble about this blood banking so that i can tell u to some extent to wat i know...

Hi, Laxmi

I am a hematologist in a brazilian hospital and my major concern is client satisfaction.

How can I use Six Sigma as a tool to improve client satisfaction?

Best Regards

Gisela.

Hi,

I am a phisician specialized in blood diseases ( hematologist) and in charge of a

project  to improve the labor efficiency in a Blood Blank and reduce overtime usage.

I'm really in need of some ideas...

Thank you for helping.

 

Hi Sapna / Gisela,

As far as the field "BLOOD BANK" is concerned, it deals with life.

- Firstly identify the current problems & list down as a Problem bank.

- Secondly prioritise your problems based on the importance it has as "Productivity, Quality, Cost, Delivery, Morale & Safety"

- Create a high level project character for the prioritised problem

- As BLOOD is the most vital part of medication, its better that you consult other Physicians on the requirements - you can use KANO's model / QFD

- If it is more concerned on TIME - concentrate more on P-productivity & D-Delivery. You can have a better understanding through SIPOC & Value Stream Mapping.

- In SIPOC you will come to know about you Suppliers for your invidual milestone in the process, Inputs given by the supplier, the Process, Output given by the process & the Customers (eg) The blood donor is the Supplier, Input is Blood, Process is ispection of blood, certification & storage, output is certified blood, customer is a patient in the hospital.

- In VSM you can drill down the entire process & under stand the process time between the milestones. VSM consists of the Leadtime for each milestone, actual Process time & non value added time. Non value added time other wise called as the Waste can be classified into 7 types - "TIMWOOD"

T - Transportation, I - Inventory, M - Movement, W - Waiting / Queing time,  O - Over Production, O - Over Processing, D - Defects

Biforcate each of your activity in the process with Actual time & Wasted time. Now the wasted time has to be biforcated into "TIMWOOD".

This method can help you to identify potential areas.

Also if possible, some techiques like KANBAN & 2 Bin systems can help.

regards,

Ramabadran

 

 

Hello,

I work as MBB and Deployement Leader for Apollo Hospitals Group.

We have worked on several LSS projects in Blood Bank.

Some of them are:

1) Reduction of Blood Discards

2) Reduction of Donor waiting time

3) Improving Donor satisfaction

4) Improving Quality and Safety of Blood and Allied products(infection & contamination free)

5) Reduction of Dispensing Time at Blood Bank.

This is however not the exhaustive list.

Best Regards,

Johanan Daniel