SIX SIGMA: CAN ENGINEERING PRINCIPLES IMPROVE HEALTHCARE PROCESSES?

Priti Laxmi
Josephine Sosa-Fey
Chin-Yen Alice Liu
Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Darpan I. Patel
University of Texas Health Science Center-San Antonio
ABSTRACT
The delivery of health care services falls short of providing quality care that is affordable, safe and consistently reliable. Six Sigma and Lean methods for quality improvement have spanned the field of healthcare to improve medical care processes, patient flow, and reduce medication errors. Systems engineering principles have been utilized in various industries and have shown positive effects in improving workflow, process quality improvement and productivity. Six Sigma and Lean processes have been useful and have provided sustainable improvement in various industrial and business environments. The lack of progress indicated in the current literature is cause for concern for those who seek to practice evidence-based medicine within the healthcare industry. This study explores the feasibility of improvement in healthcare processes using Six Sigma.