Enroll Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/fixing-healthcare-delivery-advanced-lean
In the pursuit of improving healthcare, efficiency and patient safety are paramount. The ‘Fixing Healthcare Delivery 2.0: Advanced Lean’ course on Coursera offers a comprehensive exploration of how the principles of Lean, also known as the Toyota Production System (TPS), can be effectively applied to the healthcare industry. This course is a must for healthcare providers, administrators, engineers, and students looking to understand and implement transformative changes in how healthcare is delivered.
The course begins by establishing the foundation of TPS and its proven success in revolutionizing the automotive industry. It delves into the ‘System of Profound Knowledge’ developed by W. Edward Deming, which serves as the bedrock for Lean and TPS. The curriculum highlights how leading healthcare institutions like Virginia Mason Medical Center and Denver Health have successfully adapted these principles, leading to significant improvements in patient care, reduced mortality rates, and lower costs.
One of the core modules focuses on ‘Waste Reduction,’ a critical area in healthcare where it’s estimated that 30-60% of activities are wasteful. The course introduces the eight forms of waste identified by Lean and practical tools like ‘5S’ for immediate efficiency gains. It also tackles the prevalent issue of diagnostic errors, explaining how ‘illness scripts’ and Bayes’ Theorem can optimize diagnostic processes, leading to quicker and more cost-effective diagnoses.
‘Standardized Work and Preparing for Value Stream Mapping’ addresses a crucial, yet often challenging, concept. The course emphasizes that standardized work is the prerequisite for continuous improvement, even when faced with resistance from frontline staff, particularly physicians. Tools like spaghetti diagrams and Time Observation Sheets are introduced to facilitate the creation and modification of standardized work, alongside definitions of Lead Time, Cycle Time, and Takt Time, and how to calculate workforce requirements.
The heart of the course lies in ‘Value Stream & Process Mapping, RIEs, and Leveling Flow.’ Participants learn to construct Value Stream Maps, identifying bottlenecks and non-value-added steps. The course then guides learners on using process mapping and Rapid Improvement Events (RIEs) to eliminate these inefficiencies. The principles of leveling flow, applicable to both elective and emergency care, are also covered, demonstrating how to enhance productivity without increasing staff.
Finally, ‘Error Proofing and Visual Controls’ tackles the alarming statistics surrounding preventable medical errors. The course explores effective error reporting mechanisms, the importance of a ‘Just Culture’ for fair error analysis, and tools like Pareto Charts and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA). It introduces six levels of error proofing with clinical examples and highlights the role of visual controls in error reduction and process improvement. The course culminates by proposing ‘Patient-centered Healthcare Delivery System (PHDS)’ as a new paradigm, emphasizing the application of scientific methods to continually improve healthcare with a patient-first focus.
Overall, ‘Fixing Healthcare Delivery 2.0: Advanced Lean’ is an exceptionally valuable course for anyone seeking to drive meaningful change in healthcare. It provides a robust framework, practical tools, and inspiring case studies to transform healthcare delivery systems.
Enroll Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/fixing-healthcare-delivery-advanced-lean