1st Edition

Standard Work for Lean Healthcare

By Thomas L. Jackson Copyright 2012
    124 Pages 95 B/W Illustrations
    by Productivity Press

    124 Pages
    by Productivity Press

    Proven to increase efficiencies in the manufacturing sector, Standard Work has become a key element in reducing process waste, ensuring patient safety, and improving healthcare services. Part of the Lean Tools for Healthcare Series, this reader-friendly book builds on the success of the bestselling, Standard Work for the Shopfloor.

    Standard Work for Lean Healthcare explains how to apply this powerful Lean tool to increase patient safety and reduce the cost of providing healthcare services. It illustrates how standardization can help you establish best practices for performing daily work and why it should be the cornerstone for all of your continuous improvement efforts. Presented in an easy-to-assimilate format, the book describes work in terms of cycle time, work in process, takt time, and layout. It also:

    • Defines the key concepts of standard work and explores the essential elements of a continuous improvement culture
    • Provides detailed guidance through the process of creating, maintaining, and improving standards
    • Illustrates the application of standardization and standard work in healthcare with a range of examples
    • Includes access to helpful websites and further reading on standardization, standard work, the 5S System, and Lean healthcare

    A joint effort between the Rona Consulting Group and Productivity Press, this book presents invaluable insights from pioneers in Lean thinking to help you avoid common mistakes that can lead to unnecessary wastes of time and resources. Each richly illustrated chapter includes a chapter summary, reflection questions, and margin assists that highlight key terms, how-to steps, and healthcare examples—making this an essential resource for healthcare professionals starting out on their Lean journey.

    Getting Started
    The Purpose of This Book
    What This Book Is Based On
    Two Ways to Use This Book
    How to Get the Most Out of Your Reading
         Becoming Familiar with This Book
         Becoming Familiar with Each Chapter
         How a Reading Strategy Works
         Using the Margin Assists
    An Overview of the Contents

    The Production Processes and Operations of Healthcare
    The Industrial Origins of Lean Healthcare
    Production, Process, and Operation

    Standards and Beyond
    What Is a Standard?
         Characteristics of Standards
         Sources and Types of Standards
         Standards and Standard Work versus Best Practice
    What Is Standardization?
    What Is Standard Work?
         Lean Healthcare Methods = Standard Processes and Reliable Methods
         Standard Work is a Prerequisite of Lean Healthcare
         Standard Work Drives Further ImprovementStandard Work and Evidence-Based Practice
    Evidence-Based Practice
         A Culture of Continuous Improvement
    The Benefits of Standardization and Standard Work
         For the Organization
         For Patients
         For Clinicians and Support Staff

    Standardization
    The Path to Reliable Methods
         Types of In-House Standards
         100 Percent Adherence to Reliable Methods
    Communicating In-House Policies and Standards
         Often Manuals Are Not Designed for the User
         Revisions Are Unsystematic
         Information Is Inconsistent with Lean Healthcare Methods
    What to Include in Standards Documentation
         Technical and Process Standards Sheets
         Equipment Manuals
    The Value of User-Friendly Standards
    Creating and Maintaining Improvements to Standards
         How Do You Create Standards and Standard Operations?
         Stages of Standards Improvement
         A Review of the Process Analysis Tools

    Standard Work
    Standard Task
    Standard Work Sequence
    Standard Time
         Takt Time
         Cycle Time
         Wait Time
         Lead Time
    Standard Work-in-Process (SWIP) Inventory
    Standard Work Documentation
    Five Steps to Standard Work
         Step One: Conduct a Running Time Observation
         Step Two: Create a Standard Work Sheet
         Step Three: Percent Load Chart
         Step Four: Create a Standard Work Combination Sheet
         Step Five: Standard Work Instruction Sheet
    Ten Guidelines for Maintaining and
    Improving Standard Work
    Summary
    Reflections

    Applications of Standardization and Standard Work
    Applications of Standardization
         New Employee Training
         Evaluating Improvement Ideas
    Applications of Standard Work
         Managing Healthcare Service Production Processes
         Patient Safety
         Hourly Rounding
         Satisfied Employees

    Reflection and Conclusions
    Reflecting on What You Have Learned
    Applying What You Have Learned
         Possibilities for Applying What You Have Learned
         Implementing Standardization and Standard Work in Your Organization
         Your Personal Action Plan
    Opportunities for Further Learning
    Conclusions

    Appendix:
    Further Reading about the 5S System
    Further Reading about Lean Healthcare
    Useful Websites

    Each chapter concludes with a Summary & Reflections

    Biography

    Thomas L. Jackson