Lean management in hospitals: Evidence from Denmark

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Authors

  • Rasmus Laygardt Röck
  • Mads Hørlyck
  • Jacob Dammand
  • Thomas Lyngholm Jacobsen
  • Rainer Lueg

This single-case study explores whether Lean management can improve efficiency in patient treatment at hospitals. Using a case study methodology, we investigate the implementation of Lean at Odense University Hospital (Denmark) and rely on both qualitative and quantitative data for our analysis.

We find that efficiency in patient treatment increased, for example through reduction in waiting times, higher process cycle efficiency when patients were treated at the hospital, and shorter walking distances for staff. This was achieved through the use of various Lean tools, such as Kaizen tablets, elimination of non-value adding activities, and Gemba mapping. Success factors in the implementation of Lean were financial pressure from the government under increasing expectations from patients, openness of the hospital’s top management toward practices from the private sector, thorough employee involvement, provision of the necessary funding for the change toward Lean, and a better definition of what the business model of our case organization is.

This study illustrates a successful implementation of Lean in a public hospital. Thereby, it contributes that practices from the private sector can be successfully transferred if they are adapted to the quite different business models of organizations in the public sector.

Original languageEnglish
JournalAdministratie si Management Public
Volume2014
Issue number23
Pages (from-to)19-35
Number of pages17
ISSN1583-9583
Publication statusPublished - 2014
Externally publishedYes

    Research areas

  • Business model, Kaizen, Lean implementation, Lean management, New public management, Public sector organizations
  • Management studies