Extreme Makeover in a health center: LEAN methodology applied to clinical practice.

INTRODUCTION: The LEAN methodology is an integration of methods and tools developed in the 90s in the industrial sector. It aims to reduce waste (things that don't add value to the final product), add worth and work towards continuous quality improvement. METHODS: LEAN tools to improve the clinical practice of a health center include:5S methodology: helps organize, clean, develop and maintain a productive work environment;'Spaghetti' diagram: displays the movement and distance that a given element has to travel throughout the entire process; andTime and motion studies: measure the various times associated with the process and the associated motion. RESULTS: The LEAN methodology made it possible to manage space and time efficiently and optimally. There was a substantial reduction in both the time and number of trips for not only the health professionals but also for the patients. DISCUSSION: Clinical practice should focus on the permission of continuous quality improvement. The LEAN methodology, through its different tools, generates an increase in productivity and profitability. It promotes teamwork through multidisciplinary teams and the empowerment and training of employees. The implementation of the LEAN methodology improved the practices and strengthened the team spirit based on everyone's participation, because the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

Critical success factors for the successful initiation of Lean in public hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal: a factor analysis and structural equation modelling study.

BACKGROUND: Lean thinking is one of several operations-management techniques which have yet to be fully embraced in the South African health care sector. In most health care managers' service delivery mandates, what needs to be done might be known, but it is how it should be done which might be alien to most managers. In order to recognise the "how", one needs to know the critical success factors for Lean initiation. METHODS: The research took the form of an observational descriptive study with quantitative methods. The objectives were to identify the key variables for the successful initiation of Lean and then to conduct factor analysis and structural equation modelling (SEM) on these variables leading to the identification of critical success factors (CSFs) for Lean initiation. Simple random sampling was applied to select the participants from various categories of 500 senior managers across 73 KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) public hospitals. The sample size was 218, with a response rate of 96.8% (n = 211). For the purpose of identifying key variables for the successful initiation of Lean and then of conducting factor analysis and SEM on these variables, a self-administered, structured questionnaire was used. Data were reduced using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to identify latent constructs. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to determine the reliability and validity of these factors. Structural equation modelling (SEM) fit indices were then applied to assess acceptability of the measurement model. RESULTS: Certain variables were eliminated during EFA if they cross-loaded onto more than one factor, since this caused discriminant validity problems. In addition, if variables loaded weakly onto a factor, they were not retained. Three critical success factors (CSFs) were identified in this study: strategic leadership and organisational attitude; integration of Lean elements, tools, and techniques; and basic stability in operational processes. All reliability and validity conditions have been met (RMSEA = 0.085; CFI = 0.956 and χ2/df = 2.513), consequently rendering the model reliable and valid. CONCLUSION: None of the three CSFs can be viewed in isolation, as they all have significance at different dimensions of capability within the organisation. The use of these CSFs and the context, content, application, and outcome of Lean should be viewed in light of the organisation's strategic, technical, structural, and cultural environment. Further research in the effectiveness of these CSFs for the rollout of Lean in South African hospitals would be of benefit to the Lean body of knowledge.

The impact of a supportive supervision intervention on health workers in Niassa, Mozambique: a cluster-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Regular supportive supervision is critical to retaining and motivating staff in resource-constrained settings. Previous studies have shown the particular contribution that supportive supervision can make to improving job satisfaction amongst over-stretched health workers in such settings. METHODS: The Support, Train and Empower Managers (STEM) study designed and implemented a supportive supervision intervention and measured its' impact on health workers using a controlled trial design with a three-arm pre- and post-study in Niassa Province in Mozambique. Post-intervention interviews with a small sample of health workers were also conducted. RESULTS: The quantitative measurements of job satisfaction, emotional exhaustion and work engagement showed no statistically significant differences between end-line and baseline. The qualitative data collected from health workers post the intervention showed many positive impacts on health workers not captured by this quantitative survey. CONCLUSIONS: Health workers perceived an improvement in their performance and attributed this to the supportive supervision they had received from their supervisors following the intervention. Reports of increased motivation were also common. An unexpected, yet important consequence of the intervention, which participants directly attributed to the supervision intervention, was the increase in participation and voice amongst health workers in intervention facilities.

The impact of a human resource management intervention on the capacity of supervisors to support and supervise their staff at health facility level.

BACKGROUND: A systematic and structured approach to the support and supervision of health workers can strengthen the human resource management function at the district and health facility levels and may help address the current crisis in human resources for health in sub-Saharan Africa by improving health workers' motivation and retention. METHODS: A supportive supervision programme including (a) a workshop, (b) intensive training and (c) action learning sets was designed to improve human resource management in districts and health facilities in Tanzania. We conducted a randomised experimental design to evaluate the impact of the intervention. Data on the same measures were collected pre and post the intervention in order to identify any changes that occurred (between baseline and end of project) in the capacity of supervisors in intervention a + b and intervention a + b + c to support and supervise their staff. These were compared to supervisors in a control group in each of Tanga, Iringa and Tabora regions (n = 9). A quantitative survey of 95 and 108 supervisors and 196 and 187 health workers sampled at baseline and end-line, respectively, also contained open-ended responses which were analysed separately. RESULTS: Supervisors assessed their own competency levels pre- and post-intervention. End-line samples generally scored higher compared to the corresponding baseline in both intervention groups for competence activities. Significant differences between baseline and end-line were observed in the total scores on 'maintaining high levels of performance', 'dealing with performance problems', 'counselling a troubled employee' and 'time management' in intervention a + b. In contrast, for intervention a + b + c, a significant difference in distribution of scores was only found on 'counselling a troubled employee', although the end-line mean scores were higher than their corresponding baseline mean scores in all cases. Similar trends to those in the supervisors' reports are seen in health workers data in terms of more efficient supervision processes, although the increases are not as marked. CONCLUSION: A number of different indicators were measured to assess the impact of the supportive supervision intervention on the a + b and a + b + c intervention sites. The average frequency of supervision visits and the supervisors' competency levels across the facilities increased in both intervention types. This would suggest that the intervention proved effective in raising awareness of the importance of supervision and this understanding led to action in the form of more supportive supervision.

[Organizational capacity for continuous improvement of health services]. / Estrategia integral de formación para la mejora continua de la calidad de los servicios de salud.

While the Mexican health system has achieved significant progress, as reflected in the growing improvement in population health, heterogeneity in the quality of services and its impact on health in different population groups is still a challenge. The costs or poor quality represent about 20 to 40% of the health system's expenditure. We need to develop organizational capacity to implement quality management systems in order to identify, evaluate, prevent and eventually overcome the health system's challenges. A competency-based comprehensive strategy for training human resources is proposed including undergraduate and graduate education as well as continuing education, which will contribute to improve the quality function at the various levels of responsibility in the health system. The proposed strategy responds to the context of the Mexican health system, but it could be adapted to other systems and contexts.

Six Sigma for workplace safety improvement: improving hazards and unsafe conditions in a metallic packaging manufacturing company.

Six Sigma has been applied as a business process improvement strategy in many companies worldwide with great results. On the other hand, workplace safety constitutes a key issue for company managers due to their responsibility. The aim of this article is to demonstrate how using Six Sigma can reduce accidents. A case study is conducted on a large European metallic packaging manufacturing company. As a result, the company presented a reduction of lost time accidents from 97 to 30 that saved a lot of time and cost. The σ value achieved was 4.24. This project shows the effectiveness of Six Sigma as an improvement tool in the human resources area, despite most of the previous Six Sigma research being focused on manufacturing aspects. The case studied can be useful either for large companies or small and medium-sized companies interested in improving safety.

Evaluating the effectiveness of performance management: A 30-year integrative conceptual review.

This integrative conceptual review is based on a critical need in the area of performance management (PM), where there remain important unanswered questions about the effectiveness of PM that affect both research and practice. In response, we create a theoretically grounded, comprehensive, and integrative model for understanding and measuring PM effectiveness, comprising multiple categories of evaluative criteria and the underlying mechanisms that link them. We then review more than 30 years (1984-2018) of empirical PM research vis-à-vis this model, leading to conclusions about what the literature has studied and what we do and do not know about PM effectiveness as a result. The final section of this article further elucidates the key "value chains" or mediational paths that explain how and why PM can add value to organizations, framed around three pressing questions with both theoretical and practical importance (How do individual-level outcomes of PM emerge to become unit-level outcomes? How essential are positive reactions to the overall effectiveness of PM? and What is the value of a performance rating?). This discussion culminates in specific propositions for future research and implications for practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Steps to improve the teaching of public health to undergraduate medical students in Canada.

In Canada, recent events and global influences have led to an emphasis on enhancing the public health system and improving the training of physicians in public and population health. Responding to the World Health Organization's initiative, Towards Unity for Health, the Association of Faculties of Medicine in Canada launched its Social Accountability initiative in 2001, which included the creation of the Public Health Task Group. With representation from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Canadian faculties of medicine, medical students, the Medical Council of Canada, and the community, the task group undertook four main steps: reaching agreement on common overall objectives for teaching public health, obtaining baseline information on the curricula of programs that were being provided across Canada, obtaining an inventory of resources available at each university, and creating a support system for fostering the development of public health teaching in undergraduate medicine programs. To date, the seventeen medical schools have nearly reached full consensus on the overall educational objectives. An initial scan of existing educational resources revealed no consistent use of any one text. Subsequent work has begun to create an inventory of sharable resources. A network of public health educators has been created and is seen as a promising start to addressing these other concerns. Other barriers remain to be addressed; these include lack of faculty (critical mass), inadequate support for local champions, inadequate methods of student assessment, and poor image as an attractive specialty/few role models.

Evaluación de la gestión de calidad de los servicios de Enfermería en un Centro de Restauración Neurológica / Evaluation of quality management of Nursing services at the International Center for Neurological Restoration

Introducción: La evaluación de la gestión de calidad de los servicios de Enfermería se perfila como una herramienta útil para trazar estrategias de mejora de los procesos organizacionales y satisfacer las necesidades del cliente. Objetivo: Evaluar la gestión de calidad de los servicios de Enfermería. Métodos: Estudio cuantitativo, descriptivo, de corte transversal, en el Centro Internacional de Restauración Neurológica, La Habana, en el año 2022. Participaron 60 enfermeras con 5 o más años de servicio, pertenecientes a los servicios lesiones estáticas, restauración biológica cerebral, atención a cubanos, lesiones raquimedulares, trastornos del movimiento y neurocirugía. Se aplicó una encuesta adaptada al contexto hospitalario basada en el Modelo Europeo de excelencia European Foundation for Quality Management. Se utilizó la media como medida de resumen. Se consideró la evaluación punto fuerte (aceptable) cuando el valor real alcanzado fue igual o superior al deseado y área de mejora (no aceptable) cuando el valor real no alcanzó el deseado. Resultados: La puntuación global fue de 977,88 de 1000 puntos que exige el Modelo. Se detectaron dos áreas de mejora a expensas de los criterios 3 (implicar los grupos de interés) y 5 (gestionar el funcionamiento y la transformación). Se evidenciaron puntos fuertes con énfasis en una cultura de calidad y elevada capacitación en los profesionales. Conclusión: La evaluación de gestión de la calidad en los servicios de Enfermería se considera aceptable. Los hallazgos obtenidos permiten plantearse acciones de mejora para fortalecer la calidad de la atención que se brinda a los clientes. La evaluación de la gestión de calidad en los servicios de enfermería es una estrategia metodológica útil para identificar errores y ayudar a identificar el camino hacia la excelencia(AU)

Introduction: The evaluation of quality management of Nursing services is emerging as a useful tool to outline strategies to improve organizational processes and meet customer needs, Objective: To evaluate the quality management of nursing services. Methods: Quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional, cross-sectional study at the International Center for Neurological Restoration, Havana, Cuba, in the year 2022. Sixty nurses with 5 or more years of service, belonging to the services Static Injuries, Biological Brain Restoration, Care for Cubans, Rachimedullary Injuries, Movement Disorders and Neurosurgery participated. A survey was applied, adapted to the hospital context based on the European Model of Excellence EFQM. The mean was used as a summary measure. The evaluation was considered a strong point (acceptable) when the actual value achieved was equal to or higher than the desired value, and an area for improvement (not acceptable) when the actual value did not reach the desired value. Results: The overall score was 977.88 out of 1000 points required by the Model. Two areas for improvement were detected at the expense of criteria 3 (involve stakeholders) and 5 (manage operation and transformation). Strengths were evidenced with emphasis on a culture of quality and high qualification of professionals. Conclusion: The evaluation of quality management in nursing services is considered acceptable(AU)

Evaluación de la gestión de calidad de los servicios de Enfermería en un Centro de Restauración Neurológica / Evaluation of quality management of Nursing services at the International Center for Neurological Restoration

Introducción: La evaluación de la gestión de calidad de los servicios de Enfermería se perfila como una herramienta útil para trazar estrategias de mejora de los procesos organizacionales y satisfacer las necesidades del cliente. Objetivo: Evaluar la gestión de calidad de los servicios de Enfermería. Métodos: Estudio cuantitativo, descriptivo, de corte transversal, en el Centro Internacional de Restauración Neurológica, La Habana, en el año 2022. Participaron 60 enfermeras con 5 o más años de servicio, pertenecientes a los servicios lesiones estáticas, restauración biológica cerebral, atención a cubanos, lesiones raquimedulares, trastornos del movimiento y neurocirugía. Se aplicó una encuesta adaptada al contexto hospitalario basada en el Modelo Europeo de excelencia European Foundation for Quality Management. Se utilizó la media como medida de resumen. Se consideró la evaluación punto fuerte (aceptable) cuando el valor real alcanzado fue igual o superior al deseado y área de mejora (no aceptable) cuando el valor real no alcanzó el deseado. Resultados: La puntuación global fue de 977,88 de 1000 puntos que exige el Modelo. Se detectaron dos áreas de mejora a expensas de los criterios 3 (implicar los grupos de interés) y 5 (gestionar el funcionamiento y la transformación). Se evidenciaron puntos fuertes con énfasis en una cultura de calidad y elevada capacitación en los profesionales. Conclusión: La evaluación de gestión de la calidad en los servicios de Enfermería se considera aceptable. Los hallazgos obtenidos permiten plantearse acciones de mejora para fortalecer la calidad de la atención que se brinda a los clientes. La evaluación de la gestión de calidad en los servicios de enfermería es una estrategia metodológica útil para identificar errores y ayudar a identificar el camino hacia la excelencia.

Introduction: The evaluation of quality management of Nursing services is emerging as a useful tool to outline strategies to improve organizational processes and meet customer needs, Objective: To evaluate the quality management of nursing services. Methods: Quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional, cross-sectional study at the International Center for Neurological Restoration, Havana, Cuba, in the year 2022. Sixty nurses with 5 or more years of service, belonging to the services Static Injuries, Biological Brain Restoration, Care for Cubans, Rachimedullary Injuries, Movement Disorders and Neurosurgery participated. A survey was applied, adapted to the hospital context based on the European Model of Excellence EFQM. The mean was used as a summary measure. The evaluation was considered a strong point (acceptable) when the actual value achieved was equal to or higher than the desired value, and an area for improvement (not acceptable) when the actual value did not reach the desired value. Results: The overall score was 977.88 out of 1000 points required by the Model. Two areas for improvement were detected at the expense of criteria 3 (involve stakeholders) and 5 (manage operation and transformation). Strengths were evidenced with emphasis on a culture of quality and high qualification of professionals. Conclusion: The evaluation of quality management in nursing services is considered acceptable.

[The German program for disease management guidelines--implementation with pathways and quality management]. / Nationale VersorgungsLeitlinien--Nutzung im Qualitätsmanagement unter besonderer Berücksichtigung von Klinischen Behandlungspfaden und Regionalen Leitlinien.

In Germany, physicians enrolled in disease management programs are legally obliged to follow evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. That is why a Program for National Disease Management Guidelines (German DM-CPG Program) was established in 2002 aiming at implementation of best-practice evidence-based recommendations for nationwide as well as regional disease management programs. Against this background the article reviews programs, methods and tools for implementing DM-CPGs via clinical pathways as well as regional guidelines for outpatient care. Special reference is given to the institutionalized program of adapting DM-CPGs for regional use by primary-care physicians in the State of Hesse.

Award winner involves entire staff in quality improvement initiatives.

Have non-clinical departments identify activities that can contribute to improved outcomes. Create standing interdisciplinary teams to continually monitor best practices. Engender transparency and excellence with individualized scorecards for your staff and leaders.

Primary problems associated with the health and welfare of employees observed when implementing lean manufacturing projects.

BACKGROUND: Lean philosophy is used by companies to increase productivity and reduce costs. Although uncontested benefits are created, it is necessary to highlight the problems related to employees' health and welfare caused by implementing lean manufacturing projects. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this paper is to review the literature and identify the most relevant problems created by lean philosophy for employees. METHODS: Research about the theme was performed on many international databases over three months, and an initial sample of 77 papers was found. Twenty-seven sources were utilized. RESULTS: We identified 22 categories of problems related to health and welfare of employees. CONCLUSIONS: The most cited problem was work intensification, mentioned by thirteen papers. Increased stress and increased responsibilities, demands and, consequently, pressure on the workers are among the primary problems observed in the research.

Formação em educação física no contexto de saúde pública nos melhores cursos do Brasil / The formation of physical education in public health in the best courses in Brazil

RESUMO O objetivo do estudo foi revisar projetos pedagógicos (PP) para identificar a formação do profissional de Educação Física (PEF) (Bacharelado) no contexto de Saúde Pública nos melhores cursos do Brasil. Foram selecionados os 10 melhores cursos de graduação em EF ranqueados em dois sistemas de avaliações nacionais (Exame Nacional de Desempenho na Educação e Ranking Universitário Folha) e as 10 melhores Universidades num ranking internacional (QS World University Rankings). Mediante revisão rápida foram extraídas informações dos PPs de 18 cursos que atenderam aos critérios de inclusão. Trinta e seis disciplinas no contexto de Saúde Pública foram localizadas nas grades curriculares. Em relação a carga horária média menos de 1% da grade eletiva dos cursos era dedicada a disciplinas sobre Saúde Pública. O estudo revelou um cenário de formação de Bacharéis em EF distante do crescimento que a área demonstrou no campo da Saúde Pública nos últimos anos. É importante que os cursos de graduação em EF considerem uma formação específica no contexto da Saúde Pública, de modo a favorecer a consolidação da atuação do PEF e a qualidade do seu serviço na Atenção Primária à Saúde.

ABSTRACT The purpose of the study was to review pedagogical projects (PP) to identify the formation of the Physical Education professionals (PEF) in the context of Public Health in the best courses in Brazil. Methods: The 10 best PE undergraduate courses ranked in two national assessment systems were selected (National Education Performance Examination and Folha University Ranking) and the 10 best Universities in an international ranking (QS World University Rankings). Through a quick review, information was extracted from the PPs of 18 courses that met the inclusion criteria. Thirty-six subjects in the context of public health were located in the curricula. Regarding the average workload, less than 1% of the elective course schedule was dedicated to subjects on Public Health. The study revealed a scenario for the formation of Bachelors in PE far from the growth that the area has shown in the field of Public Health in recent years. It is important that PE undergraduate courses consider specific training in the context of Public Health, in order to favor the consolidation of the PEF's performance and the quality of its service in Primary Health Care.

Sustaining change: the imperative for patient access strategies.

The paper by Trypuc, MacLeod and Hudson provides a timely and important overview of methods to sustain provincial wait time strategies. The emphasis on accountability for patient access to timely care throughout the healthcare system comes through strongly--as it should. These accountabilities are made "real" through purchase service agreements. Physician-hospital relationships are a fundamental aspect of this accountability. This commentary suggests the inclusion of two additional supporting tools in addition to those cited by the authors of the lead paper--quality monitoring and the use of industrial engineering techniques for queue management and patient flow analysis. Strong and persistent leadership of patient access strategies will ensure sustainable change.