Improving Patients Discharge Process in Hospitals by using Six Sigma Approach

The need to increase the efficiency of health care systems is becoming an obligation, and one of area of improvement is the discharge process. The objective of this work is to minimize the patients discharge time (for insured patients) to be less than 50 minutes by using six sigma approach, this improvement will also: lead to an increase in customer satisfaction, increase the number of admissions and turnover on the rooms, increase hospital profitability.Three different departments were considered in this study: Female, Male, and Paediatrics. Six Sigma approach coupled with simulation has been applied to reduce the patients discharge time for pediatrics, female, and male departments at hospital. Upon applying these recommendations at hospital: 60%, 80%, and 22% of insured female, male, and pediatrics patients respectively will have discharge time less than the upper specification time i.e. 50 min.

Authors:

• Mahmoud A. El-Banna

Keywords:

• Discharge Time
• Healthcare
• Hospitals
• Patients
• Process Improvement
• Six Sigma
• Simulation

References:

1] Pexton C. Framing the need to improve healthcare using Six Sigma
methodologies. GE Medical Systems. iSixSigma Healthcare Newsletter
2003; v3.01b, 0.0-b246.
[2] Harry M, Schroeder R. Six Sigma, The Breakthrough Management
Strategy Revolutionizing the World-s Top Corporations. Doubleday:
New York, 2000.
[3] Long T. Healthcare organizations: What to do when the low-hanging
fruit is gone. iSixSigma Healthcare Newsletter 2003; v3.01b, 0.0-b246.
[4] Richard Stahl R, Schultz B, Pexton C. Revamping healthcare using
DMAIC and DFSS. iSixSigma Healthcare Newsletter 2003; v3.01b, 0.0-
b246.
[5] Tucci R. Six Sigma . . . without the pain. iSixSigma Healthcare
Newsletter 2003
[6] Ashby, M.; Ferrin, D.; Miller, M.; Shahi, N.; Discrete event simulation:
Optimizing patient flow and redesign in a replacement facility,
Simulation Conference, 2008, pp.1632-1636. DOI:
10.1109/WSC.2008.4736247
[7] BreyFogle III, F., Implementing Six Sigma, 2nd Ed., Wiley, 2003
[8] Staudter C., Mollenhaur J., Meran R., Design for Six Sigma +Lean
Toolset 2009, 1st Ed., Springer , DOI 10.1007/9783540895145
[9] Eugene E., Flexner S., Carruth G., Hawkins J., Oxford American
Dictionary, Avon, 1982
[10] Schriber, T. J. The Nature and Role of Simulation in the Design of
Manufacturing Systems. Simulation in CIM and Artificial Intelligence
Techniques 1987. 25: 5-18