Emergency Department Process Improvement through Lean Six Sigma and Simulation

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to examine the improvement in hospital emergency process using Lean Six Sigma. Case studies were performed with a simulation using real data in the current system. The result showed that the number of patients differed depending on the day of the week and the time of day, while suggesting, unlike previous studies, no difference in total lead time. Among potential variables affecting total lead time, actual treatment process was found to be most highly correlated with it. The actual medical treatment process was classified into the actual medical treatment hour and the call waiting hour. The actual medical treatment hour appeared to be different according to variables such as the number of the actual medical department, the fee for the emergent treatment, and age. In addition, out of the waiting hour, the lead time for the decision of Admission and Discharge-the check-out appeared to be different according to the result of medical treatment. Base on these findings, total 6 alternatives were set. And as a result of simulation using these alternatives, alternative Ⅳ showed the decrease of 22.6 minutes compared to the current total lead time, whereas total waiting hour appeared to be decreased by 22.2 minutes too. Furthermore, the efficiency of the process measured by PCE appeared to be increased by 14.5% from 78.9% to 93.4%. Conclusions obtained from these findings were as follows. This research was meaningful in that for the fast and efficient management of the emergency medical center in H university hospital in province, the number of the actual medical department was controlled at the same time the lead time for the decision of admission and discharge and the check-out was eliminated. And also the process efficiency of the emergency medical center was improved through the integration as well as the alternative for the efficient hospital management was suggested.