Lean methodology: contributions to improving work processes in health and nursing.
Fernanda Novaes Moreno Brancalion, Lara Gonçalves de Souza, Simone Berger and 1 others
PMID 38747811WHAT IT FOUND
Lean methods cut waiting times, surgical durations, and costs in hospital units by removing waste and standardizing workflows.
However, most included studies did not measure patient satisfaction or financial gains, and long-term sustainability of these changes remains unproven.
Key findings
01Applying Lean tools like PDCA in day operation wards reduced adverse events, nursing errors, and documentation problems compared to routine management.
02Process improvements included reduced patient waiting times, shorter surgical durations, and lower costs for sterile packaging and instrument preparation.
03Only three of the ten reviewed studies effectively demonstrated the associated financial gains, and none measured customer satisfaction or team engagement.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only free-access articles were included, which may have biased the sample size and scope. Most studies did not effectively demonstrate financial gains, limiting the evidence on cost-effectiveness. There was a lack of measurement of patient satisfaction, team engagement, or long-term sustainability of the implemented changes. The review included a small number of articles (n=10), which limits the generalizability of the findings.
Declared interests
The paper states it is a review and does not require ethics committee approval. No specific conflicts of interest or funding sources for the review itself are declared in the provided text, though it is a research support paper from non-U.S. government sources.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that Lean methodology guarantees financial savings or improved patient satisfaction. The review found that only three of ten studies demonstrated financial gains, and none measured patient satisfaction, meaning the economic and experiential benefits are not yet robustly proven.