Can we “Toyota” heathcare?

Can Quality Healthcare be Created Using Industrial Methods?  

In the pursuit of quality in healthcare, many hospitals and physician groups have adopted methods that have been successful in industrial settings. The most famous and popular of these methods are the Toyota Production System (TPS), also called "Lean Management" because the TPS emphasizes the elimination of waste in all its forms, and Six Sigma, which was popularized by General Electric (GE) and Motorola. An organization operating at Six Sigma levels will make on 3.4 errors or have only 3.4 "defects" per one million opportunities for error. These methods have in common a specific formula for process improvement and a focus on continuous improvement. Using its system, Toyota has become the most successful car company on the planet and using Six Sigma, GE is able to build aircraft engines that are, for all intents and purposes, perfect. Given what we know about the high rates of error in healthcare settings, ... continue reading...