Essay Title
Improving a Clinical Process Using Kaizen Methods- A Critical Discussion (1800 words)
Structure
- Introduction (250 words)
- A Case Example (350 to 400 words)
- A BRIEF outline of the Kaizen process and how it works to achieve change. With references. (200 words)
- DISCUSSION EITHER A Lean Triad Method OR the Future State Map (400 words)
- A Short Reflective Section (300 words) Conclusion (200-300 words)
Introduction
- State the importance of transformational change, leadership, and teamwork in delivering safer, better faster and cheaper care.
- Berwick’s quadruple aim
- Methods of process improvement in the NHS • Signpost what this essay is about
A Case Example
- Here you can give a brief description of your chosen health process. State that this was part of a team case study.
- You are now writing this individually-
- But you can base this on the slides and data you were preparing with your team. You could include this info as appendices
- Set out the type of unit you are studying and the issues in it, using your VOC data Pareto Chart, Fishbone Diagram Spaghetti Diagram, and Current State Map- whatever you judge as appropriate to say.
- Remember–you could be linking these problems to the 8 wastes
- As was happening in your team, you can–and should-highlighting areas needed for improvement on the map and mention these in this section. These are the kaizen bursts
A BRIEF outline of the Kaizen process
- Explain how the Kaizen preparation, tools and meeting structure works in generating the current state map
- Then go on to outline the RIPW week and how this contributes to the FUTURE state map, and how the Kaizen process is managed in the post kaizen period
Discussion
- State the importance of transformational change, leadership, and teamwork in delivering safer, better faster and cheaper care.
- Berwick’s quadruple aim
- Methods of process improvement in the NHS • Signpost what this essay is about
Discussion
EITHER
Discussion 3a
- Here you can choose ONE of the kaizen bursts you have identified in your current state
- Hint – 5S and Poka-yoke will be “easiest” due to lots of literature
- Individually- recap what the issue is and what waste(s) it generates in the process.
- Individually state how and why the chosen method will help and what are the anticipated benefits- to the process box, but also upstream and downstream (the other processes)
- Individually consider the issues in managing the post kaizen process for this project, teamwork, leadership, etc
Discussion 3b
- Here you can create your own INDIVIDUAL Future State Map of the process. If you do it should be shown as an appendix.
- Discuss how you would redesign the process to improve the flow overall and address the 8 wastes.
- You could highlight flow and bottlenecks and the notion of push and batch of patients into waiting rooms, creating queues and long delays
- Chiefly, you would be bringing in concepts here like pulled flow, U, I, Z or T Shaped Work Cells, FIFO.
- State the likely benefits/disbenefits of this- will it work?
- Individually consider the issues in managing the post kaizen process for this project, teamwork, leadership, etc
Discussion 3c
- Here you could focus on:
- leadership in the kaizen process- your own
- experience plus supporting references
- teamwork in the kaizen process- your own experience plus supporting references
- NB There won’t be room for a full model like Gibbs anymore, but you could perhaps use Driscoll if it helps you reflect. (What?, Now What?, SO What?)
Conclusions
- Here you could comment on the results of your Kaizen improvement project
- How did it deal with the wastes or improve the process?
- What are the issues in doing Kaizen? (reflection plus literature)
- Did your solution address the quadruple aim
- How should organizations develop kaizen if they decide to use it?
- What did you learn from doing the kaizen teamwork and analysis?
- Next steps?
