Amnis guide shows Lean link to patient safety and productivity
Released 03/06/2011
ADVERTORIAL: Practice managers, GPs and professionals involved in the planning of patient pathways can access a free practical guide on how service improvement thinking can help deliver both the patient safety and productivity agenda in healthcare.
The guide, entitled "Safe & Effective Service Improvement", has been produced by Amnis, the performance and quality improvement specialists. It draws on a wide range of practical case examples where Lean has helped deliver improvements within departments and individual organisations as well as across entire health economies.
Lean is a philosophy that drives improvements in the flow and safety of patients and the elimination of ‘wasteful or unnecessary activity. In healthcare it can help bring safety and consistency to end-to-end patient pathways through greater collaboration between commissioners, providers, patients, carers, clinicians and managers.
The tools and concepts of Lean have a clear fit with the safety agenda in healthcare, from creating a visual workplace that helps to reduce the risk of errors occurring, to the redesign of pathways that minimise medication errors and information losses that lead to poor clinical decision making.
Amnis's Non-Executive Director for Health Policy, Duncan Eaton, the former chief executive of PASA and the executive advisor to the Associate Parliamentary Health Group, said: "We have attempted to show through this guide that the rigorous application of Lean within healthcare organisations can positively impact patient safety and help to deliver improved productivity. Our aim is to encourage organisations to use Lean to tackle both safety and efficiency and to develop joint improvement strategies to achieve these goals."
The publication, which follows Amnis's recent guide to QIPP (Quality, Innovation, Productivity & Prevention), includes case studies on individual patient experiences that support the need for change. There are also examples of how NHS organisations have successfully applied Lean to reduce risk, improve safety and deliver efficiencies.
"Safe & Effective Service Improvement: Delivering the safety and productivity agenda in healthcare using a Lean approach" can be downloaded at http://www.downloads.amnis.uk.com/SESI.pdf.
For more information from Amnis, visit www.amnis.uk.com.