Implementing the Lean Approach to Reduce Long Waiting Times in Philippine Hospitals
Open AccessAbstract of Praxis Implementing the Lean Approach to Reduce Long Waiting Times in Philippine Hospitals The Philippines, a developing nation in the Far East, is one of the 195 countries in the world that has serious problems within the health care system. Although experts and practitioners within the medical community as well as government officials under the Duterte Administration have taken positive action and proactive steps to raise health care standards, there are still ongoing issues to be addressed, such as overcrowding and congestion. The long waiting time dilemma and unnecessary delays in appointments continue to be a pressing concern in Philippine hospitals. Although the concept of Lean has existed for more than three decades, Lean as a management philosophy has not been fully introduced and integrated into hospitals within the Philippine setting. This research seeks to focus on reducing wait time by applying a mixture of proven Lean tools, such as Value Stream Mapping. Furthermore, in an attempt to search for effective ways to better leverage the problem and reduce patient wait time, this research effort takes a step further and introduces an integratable solution - a new problem-solving tool as a process improvement technique: the Rework and Eliminate Delays to Upgrade Care and Efficiency (REDUCE) framework. This framework was formulated to be used in an iterative way aimed at eliminating waste, decreasing wait time, improving process flow, and bolstering quality health care in the Philippines.
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