A proposed framework to introduce Lean Thinking in Healthcare Services

Healthcare services need, in all industrialized countries, an important part of the economic resources and ensuring sustainable healthcare services is critical for governments. Lean Production and Lean Thinking practices and concepts proved to be useful to improve performances and reduce costs in many industrial sectors. Lean Thinking generates positive results in services too, with some experiences even in healthcare. The present paper provides a literature review about Lean Thinking in healthcare and describes a work in progress experience of Lean implementation in healthcare services in Italy. The Lean practices adopted, the intervention areas and the results are analyzed to point out positive and negative aspects of each case study. Starting from this analysis a framework to introduce Lean in Healthcare Services is proposed.