In many healthcare organizations, the design and management of operations processes is not clear. As a result, there are many activities done that do not necessarily add value to the process and ultimately hinder effective care delivery. In this module, the idea of process thinking is emphasized. Process thinking is a way of viewing activities in an organization as a collection of processes and that the outcome is a result of the process. To improve outcomes, you have to address the steps in the process.

Quality is an important consideration in healthcare by customers or patients, organizations, and government agencies. It has many dimensions depending on who is defining it. For example, a patient’s experience at a hospital’s waiting room will influence their perception of the quality of care received at that facility. At the same time, if they do not get well after treatment, they may perceive the treatment received and the provider as of low quality. In this module, you will examine the concept of quality and quality management in healthcare.

Building upon the concept of quality as it was explored in the previous module, this module will now define quality in terms of waste management and quality control. Toyota Production Systems originally outlined seven lean wastes that occur in operational processes. Now, you will learn more about Lean principles, controlling waste in the healthcare setting, and how to improvement approaches to managing waste and improving quality within the organization.