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Iowa hospitals take page from Toyota's playbook

Case Management Weekly, May 10, 2006

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The University of Iowa's University Hospitals are using efficiency techniques created by Toyota to help reduce emergency department (ED) wait times for patients and procedures. The waits at the hospital have been reduced by at least an hour, according to patients interviewed in the story by The Des Moines Register.

The techniques-known collectively as Lean Production-had managers, administrators, and ED staff members consider the steps involved in normal tasks, and then find ways to reduce steps and save time. As a result, nurses don't walk as long to reach patients, patients are asked for medical histories less often, and available trauma rooms are used for less-serious cases.

The changes have led to cost savings without cutting staff, according to hospital officials. Instead, the staff's newfound time is used to treat more patients and reduce wait times.

To read the full report, please visit http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060421/LIFE02/604210384/1042

Source:Patient Flow Weekly, HCPro, Inc

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