Lean theory, or the idea of lean management techniques, is a segment of the Six Sigma training program. It is based around the idea that cutting out unnecessary or excessive steps can greatly increase your patient flow and reduce extra expenses, time, and energy.
It helps to think of all of the patients who come into your practice as a stream. The stream should easily flow from the beginning to the end. Patients should be pulled rather than pushed to each step of the process and seamlessly make it from check in to check out without being held up. Problems occur if there is something blocking your stream such as long wait times, or lengthy redundant steps. When this happens, your stream starts to turn into a pond with everything murky and at a standstill. To prevent this, you must pinpoint your own bottlenecks, and take measures to relieve them. The five basic principles outlined in this article will help you to apply this theory to your own business. However, finding your own hold-ups may not be so easy.
Check out this video perspective on Lean Patient Flow.
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