Lean Organization in Health Services. The Finnish case HUS
Gillardi, Elena (2020)
2020
Master's Programme in Public Economics and Public Finance
Johtamisen ja talouden tiedekunta - Faculty of Management and Business
This publication is copyrighted. You may download, display and print it for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.
Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2020-12-03
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202011268249
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202011268249
Tiivistelmä
The purpose of this research is to assess how Lean thinking, effectively used in manufacturing companies for decades, can be successfully applied to public services, particularly to the provision of health care. Changes in the functioning of the public administration are initially highlighted, thanks to the use of new concepts implemented in the management system. The Lean method is extremely innovative and focuses on detecting and eliminating waste and unnecessary activities so that all the work adds value and meets customer needs. To allow Lean principles to fully integrate, leaders need to work to create an organizational culture that is conducive to lean thinking. This assumption is based on the fact that this concept is a process that shapes organizations. The commitment to Lean must begin at the top of the organization and all staff should be involved in helping redesign processes to improve flow and reduce waste. It uses a variety of tools and techniques to consciously eliminate waste through the use of intelligence and creativity. These steps help to strengthen confidence in the public sector, while at the same time shaping adequate employee satisfaction in public administration.
The main focus is the management and development of patient processes and treatment. Although health care is different from production for many reasons, there are also unexpected similarities: building a car or providing health care to a patient, in both cases, workers have to face complex and articulated processes in order to perform their tasks to the best of their ability and to provide value to the client or the patient. Lean management is a potential methodology for developing management practices and strategies in the health sector in Finland. In this particular national context, the Lean concept is quite recent and is mainly used to achieve financial savings and refine processes efficiently. Positive experiences show that this is already a well-known methodology, even if it has not yet been fully implemented. As demonstrated by the presentation of the projects in the HUS hospital district. It is, therefore, possible to conclude that thanks to the demonstration of Lean’s many positive experiences, the Finnish healthcare environment is ready to welcome the deepest implementation of Lean towards continuous improvement.
The main focus is the management and development of patient processes and treatment. Although health care is different from production for many reasons, there are also unexpected similarities: building a car or providing health care to a patient, in both cases, workers have to face complex and articulated processes in order to perform their tasks to the best of their ability and to provide value to the client or the patient. Lean management is a potential methodology for developing management practices and strategies in the health sector in Finland. In this particular national context, the Lean concept is quite recent and is mainly used to achieve financial savings and refine processes efficiently. Positive experiences show that this is already a well-known methodology, even if it has not yet been fully implemented. As demonstrated by the presentation of the projects in the HUS hospital district. It is, therefore, possible to conclude that thanks to the demonstration of Lean’s many positive experiences, the Finnish healthcare environment is ready to welcome the deepest implementation of Lean towards continuous improvement.