Practical applications of performance improvement techniques to streamline health-care delivery

Abstract

Healthcare enterprises are in the midst of a paradigm change that is increasingly focused on clinical outcomes, quality of care and financial performance. This intense pressure, in the form of value-based purchasing programmes, the CMS MACRA quality reporting system, transparency of performance results through multiple online portals and millions of dollars in penalties for underperformers are transforming how hospitals function around the United States. This paper discusses how the implementation of a successful performance improvement programme is of paramount importance to streamline health-care delivery, and that, combined with Lean Six Sigma methodologies and advanced data analytics, it is possible to achieve the holy grail of delivering better health and better care at a lower cost.