A methodology for supporting lean healthcare

This article focused on application of Lean techniques in healthcare service. In this context, the aim of this work is to demonstrate that the problems associated with the application in the world services of the rules governing production processes are only apparent. In fact, the provision of a service search, like industrial production, to implement value-added processes and also an appropriate use of resources consumption, although until now it was considered that the service management should use management strategies completely different from those used in the industrial sector. The service sector is backward compared to the manufacturing industry in terms of efficiency, automation, repeatability and quality. The reason is very simple: the design and implementation of the process of service delivery have always been much less expensive than the corresponding activities of the manufacturing sector. In particular, we will analyse as case study, vaccination service in the City District in the South of Italy. It will, therefore, applied the techniques of "lean" philosophy to a specific activity of this service in order to improve performance. In particular we are going to focus on the processes of vaccines delivery among the various activities within the District. We have used a new study approach based on simulation: using a software (Powersim), we have developed a model of the current state and, basing on suggestions for improvement; then, after this research, have noticed an improvement of critical performance parameters developing a model of the future state. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012.