Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/66918
Perfect P Processmakes Lean and Agile in Medical Management Physicians have begun promoting their Lean and/or Agile management training alongside their clinical skills. But what role do these competing philosophies and toolsets—originating from the manufacturing and software development industries—have within medical practices? Claire Cordeaux of SIMUL8 offers scalable, responsive Lean process simulation. Andrew VanZee, statewide IT director for the Indiana Family and Social Service Administration, gives advice on Agile adoption of healthcare IT. in every other way. They change their minds. They don't always act in accordance with predic- tions, even predictions built on the soundest algorithms. Yet, as the healthcare system becomes more dependent on electronic data management, the move- ment of patients and the move- ment of data about patient encounters are being addressed in similar ways. Both data and patients "flow" or "process" through a physician practice or hospital, and data flow should mirror actual patient motion. eople are nothing like data. They move around, physically, mentally and The elimination of extra steps needed to fetch paper charts to a patient examination room illustrates this confluence. Lean and/or Agile process manage- ment may help medical busi- nesses think about the smooth transfer of both patients and data through the environment. ings like this one give clients a Why Lean in Healthcare? "In Lean you're looking to drive out waste and…look at value streams," says Claire Cordeaux, lead for the healthcare verti- cal at SIMUL8, a Boston-based software company. Process simulation offer- 40