Applying the Principles of Lean Production to Gastrointestinal Biopsy Handling: From the Factory Floor to the Anatomic Pathology Laboratory

Objectives: To implement Lean principles to accommodate expanding volumes of gastrointestinal biopsies and to improve laboratory processes overall. Design: Our continuous improvement (kaizen) project analyzed the current state for gastrointestinal biopsy handling using value-stream mapping for speci...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Laboratory medicine 2015-08, Vol.46 (3), p.259-264
Main Authors: Sugianto, Jessica Z., Stewart, Brian, Ambruzs, Josephine M., Arista, Amanda, Park, Jason Y., Cope-Yokoyama, Sandy, Luu, Hung S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biopsy
Biopsy - methods
Child
Efficiency, Organizational
Gastrointestinal Diseases - diagnosis
Histology
Hospitals, Pediatric
Humans
Inventory
Laboratories
Pathology
Pathology, Clinical
Philosophy
Principles
Workflow
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Objectives: To implement Lean principles to accommodate expanding volumes of gastrointestinal biopsies and to improve laboratory processes overall. Design: Our continuous improvement (kaizen) project analyzed the current state for gastrointestinal biopsy handling using value-stream mapping for specimens obtained at a 487-bed tertiary care pediatric hospital in Dallas, Texas. We identified non-value-added time within the workflow process, from receipt of the specimen in the histology laboratory to the delivery of slides and paperwork to the pathologist. To eliminate non-value-added steps, we implemented the changes depicted in a revised-state value-stream map. Results: Current-state value-stream mapping identified a total specimen processing time of 507 minutes, of which 358 minutes were non-value-added. This translated to a process cycle efficiency of 29%. Implementation of a revised-state value stream resulted in a total process time reduction to 238 minutes, of which 89 minutes were non-value-added, and an improved process cycle efficiency of 63%. Conclusions: Lean production principles of continuous improvement and waste elimination can be successfully implemented within the clinical laboratory.
ISSN:0007-5027
1943-7730
DOI:10.1309/LMJCUFUN0LT8C6DB