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Agile Six Sigma in Healthcare: Case Study at Santobono Pediatric Hospital

Author

Listed:
  • Giovanni Improta

    (Department of Public Health, University Hospital of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy)

  • Guido Guizzi

    (Materials and Production Engineering, Department of Chemical, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80125 Naples, Italy)

  • Carlo Ricciardi

    (Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80131 Naples, Italy)

  • Vincenzo Giordano

    (AORN “Santobono-Pausillipon”, 80132 Naples, Italy)

  • Alfonso Maria Ponsiglione

    (Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology (DIETI), University of Naples “Federico II”, 80125 Naples, Italy)

  • Giuseppe Converso

    (Materials and Production Engineering, Department of Chemical, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80125 Naples, Italy)

  • Maria Triassi

    (Department of Public Health, University Hospital of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy)

Abstract

Healthcare is one of the most complex systems to manage. In recent years, the control of processes and the modelling of public administrations have been considered some of the main areas of interest in management. In particular, one of the most problematic issues is the management of waiting lists and the consequent absenteeism of patients. Patient no-shows imply a loss of time and resources, and in this paper, the strategy of overbooking is analysed as a solution. Here, a real waiting list process is simulated with discrete event simulation (DES) software, and the activities performed by hospital staff are reproduced. The methodology employed combines agile manufacturing and Six Sigma, focusing on a paediatric public hospital pavilion. Different scenarios show that the overbooking strategy is effective in ensuring fairness of access to services. Indeed, all patients respect the times dictated by the waiting list, without “favouritism”, which is guaranteed by the logic of replacement. In a comparison between a real sample of bookings and a simulated sample designed to improve no-shows, no statistically significant difference is found. This model will allow health managers to provide patients with faster service and to better manage their resources.

Suggested Citation

  • Giovanni Improta & Guido Guizzi & Carlo Ricciardi & Vincenzo Giordano & Alfonso Maria Ponsiglione & Giuseppe Converso & Maria Triassi, 2020. "Agile Six Sigma in Healthcare: Case Study at Santobono Pediatric Hospital," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-17, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:3:p:1052-:d:317708
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Matthew J. Glover & Edmund Jones & Katya L. Masconi & Michael J. Sweeting & Simon G. Thompson, 2018. "Discrete Event Simulation for Decision Modeling in Health Care: Lessons from Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 38(4), pages 439-451, May.
    2. Guido Kaandorp & Ger Koole, 2007. "Optimal outpatient appointment scheduling," Health Care Management Science, Springer, vol. 10(3), pages 217-229, September.
    3. Baril, Chantal & Gascon, Viviane & Miller, Jonathan & Côté, Nadine, 2016. "Use of a discrete-event simulation in a Kaizen event: A case study in healthcare," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 249(1), pages 327-339.
    4. Nan Liu & Serhan Ziya, 2014. "Panel Size and Overbooking Decisions for Appointment-Based Services under Patient No-Shows," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 23(12), pages 2209-2223, December.
    5. Bo Zeng & Ayten Turkcan & Ji Lin & Mark Lawley, 2010. "Clinic scheduling models with overbooking for patients with heterogeneous no-show probabilities," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 178(1), pages 121-144, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Diego Tlapa & Ignacio Franco-Alucano & Jorge Limon-Romero & Yolanda Baez-Lopez & Guilherme Tortorella, 2022. "Lean, Six Sigma, and Simulation: Evidence from Healthcare Interventions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-25, December.
    2. Carlo Ricciardi & Giovanni Dell’Aversana Orabona & Ilaria Picone & Imma Latessa & Antonella Fiorillo & Alfonso Sorrentino & Maria Triassi & Giovanni Improta, 2021. "A Health Technology Assessment in Maxillofacial Cancer Surgery by Using the Six Sigma Methodology," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-16, September.
    3. Jesús Isaac Vázquez-Serrano & Rodrigo E. Peimbert-García & Leopoldo Eduardo Cárdenas-Barrón, 2021. "Discrete-Event Simulation Modeling in Healthcare: A Comprehensive Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-20, November.
    4. Arianna Scala & Alfonso Maria Ponsiglione & Ilaria Loperto & Antonio Della Vecchia & Anna Borrelli & Giuseppe Russo & Maria Triassi & Giovanni Improta, 2021. "Lean Six Sigma Approach for Reducing Length of Hospital Stay for Patients with Femur Fracture in a University Hospital," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-13, March.
    5. Weiwei Liu & Jianing Yang & Kexin Bi, 2020. "Factors Influencing Private Hospitals’ Participation in the Innovation of Biomedical Engineering Industry: A Perspective of Evolutionary Game Theory," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(20), pages 1-18, October.

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