• Main website
  • Case Studies Home
  • Case Studies
    • Green Belt
      • Example Green Belt Projects-Health Care
      • Example Green Belt Projects-Manufacturing
      • Example Green Belt Projects-Services
    • Black Belt
      • Example Black Belt Projects-Health Care
      • Example Black Belt Projects-Manufacturing
      • Example Black Belt Projects-Services
    • Master Black Belt
    • Lean Success Stories
  • Articles
    • LSS topics of common interest
    • Insights for Green Belts
    • Green Belt tool application examples
    • Insights for Black Belts
    • Black Belt Tool Application Examples
    • Lean Insights
    • Lean Six Sigma Leadership
    • For Master Black Belts
    • New to Lean Six Sigma
      • Lean Expert Basics
      • Six Sigma Basics
    • Leisure and Fun
  • Blog

Case Study: Reducing Turnaround Time of Lab Reports in the ICU

A hospital had implemented total quality management (TQM) to improve customer happiness in its diagnostic clinics. The other issue that was addressed was delay in receiving test reports for patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). The process improvement team went through two-day training and addressed the delays in turnaround time (TAT) by implementing total quality management.Process quality improvement experts at the hospital followed the seven steps of problem solving.

The first step was to define the problem and measure it. The ICU doctors were told to present their preferred TAT for the usual lab tests. The average + 3σ of the delay should be less than 0 for 99.7 percent of the tests to be within preferred levels.

The second step was Root cause analysis of 5 Whys. When it come to TAT problems, the root causes are typically found by mapping the process and identifying all non-value added activities, levels and work on the one hand, and by correcting and batching imbalanced workloads that are holding back workflow on the other.

The third step was to produce countermeasure ideas. The quality improvement project was conducted in two phases, each area of the process:
1. Process steps supporting, but taking place majorly outside the laboratory.
2. Process steps occurring in the laboratory

The fourth step was to test the idea. The now 16-step process was then tested – the team was alerted that samples were to be run without delay at any step during this trial.

The fifth step was to verify the result. After further streamlining the process, the average + 3σ was reduced by another 50 percent, from 106 minutes to 53 minutes. During this process, steps that occurred outside of the laboratory proceeded along with the necessary information technology changes and updated. At the same time, the project team was dealing with what was happening inside of the laboratory to reduce TAT to less than 56 minutes.

At the start of this project, the doctors set a desired time of 20 minutes per test. When the doctors were asked for targets for individual tests, the figures for desired TAT ranged from 5 minutes to 120 minutes. The average delay led to 50 percent completed on time and a maximum delay of 40 minutes per test.

The sixth step was to standardize the results. Team members were given the training to draw the control charts, frequently evaluate performance and remove the causes of any deviation.
The seventh and the last step was quality improvement story. It was prepared and presented to management.

See full story on isixsigma.com

February 3, 2014   Benchmark Six Sigma
Case Studies, Example Green Belt Projects-Health Care, Green Belt Qualified
×

  • 5 common mistakes in Project Charters
  • 4 easy to avoid FMEA mistakes

Categories

  • Articles
    • Black Belt Tool Application Examples
    • For Master Black Belts
    • Green Belt tool application examples
    • Insights for Black Belts
    • Insights for Green Belts
    • Lean Insights
    • Lean Six Sigma Leadership
    • Leisure and Fun
    • LSS topics of common interest
    • New to Lean Six Sigma
      • Lean Expert Basics
      • Six Sigma Basics
  • Case Studies
    • Black Belt Qualified
      • Example Black Belt Projects-Health Care
      • Example Black Belt Projects-Manufacturing
      • Example Black Belt Projects-Services
    • Green Belt Qualified
      • Example Green Belt Projects-Health Care
      • Example Green Belt Projects-Manufacturing
      • Example Green Belt Projects-Services
    • Master Black Belt
  • Featured Articles
  • Lean Qualified
    • Lean Success Stories
  • Project Management Articles
  • Uncategorized

Archives

  • April 2021
  • November 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • February 2012
  • March 2011
Copyright © 2023 Benchmark Six Sigma