15+ years of lean experiences in ambulatory care

Synchrony in healthcare is the ability to align the timing of physician and patient processes so neither waits for the other, minimizing waste and delays. Dr. Dennis Han achieved this with lean consulting, resulting in an 85% reduction in patient wait times, higher satisfaction scores, and significant financial gains. 

At Austin Retina Associates, by embracing lean principles, the practice achieved a 50% reduction in both wait and visit times within just three months. Patients now spend an average of 55 minutes in the clinic, down from the previous 1 hour and 50 minutes. This efficiency boost also raised patient satisfaction scores from 8 to 9.5 or 10 out of 10, while staff satisfaction surged from 6 to 9 out of 10.

Lean has also transformed the culture. The front-line staff is empowered to make workflow decisions that drive efficiency and solve problems, creating meaningful solutions at the source. This empowerment has fostered a level of teamwork, collaboration, and engagement that has reshaped the practice, creating a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

In the foreword, Dr. Michael F. Gutzeit highlights six proven steps for implementing lean in healthcare: creating physician flow, supporting value-added time, visually communicating patient status, standardizing work, minimizing motion, and changing the care model. These steps improve patient and staff satisfaction by reducing wait times, ending clinic days on time, and enhancing care quality. The case study at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin demonstrates success, with wait times reduced by 70%, a 25% increase in patient volume, and improved satisfaction scores.

After introducing Lean principles, pediatric ophthalmology clinic visit times dropped from 120 minutes to 75 minutes within three months, and were sustained at 69 minutes over four years. Clinic capacity increased by 17%, while patient satisfaction scores improved from 6.5 to 9.0, with positive feedback on shorter visits and smoother operations. Staff reported fewer complaints, better organization, real-time problem-solving, and the ability to leave earlier at the end of the day.