Reducing turnaround time in a pathology laboratory using the lean methodology

Akbulut, Yasemin; Usubütün, Alp; Durur, Fatih; Kutlu, Gamze

doi:10.1108/ijlss-12-2021-0213

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…Recommendations for future applications include a broader and longer-term implementation of Lean strategies across various laboratory operations to address increasing workloads and economic challenges within the healthcare sector. The study's findings advocate for a systemic adoption of Lean philosophies to foster a culture of continuous improvement and waste minimization, ultimately leading to more responsive and sustainable laboratory services (2,10,19).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…To achieve a confidence level of 95% and an absolute precision of 10%, with an anticipated improvement from 38% efficiency before Lean implementation to 9% thereafter, the sample size was meticulously calculated using the formula (22,23). 2 resulting in a total of 122 samples. Inclusion criteria for the study were samples submitted for culture and sensitivity analysis, while those intended for cytology and Gram Staining were excluded to maintain a focused scope.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The integration of Lean strategies into microbiological practices, specifically within the Gram staining procedure, represents a transformative approach toward enhancing laboratory efficiency and diagnostic precision (1,2). Initially described by Danish pathologist Christian Gram in 1884, with subsequent modifications, Gram staining has cemented its position as a cornerstone in the biological sciences, particularly in the realm of bacterial identification and classification (3).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Impact of Lean Strategy on Gram Staining Procedure in Microbiology Laboratory

Ain,

Farooque,

Mirza

et al. 2024

JHRR

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Background: The Gram staining procedure, a fundamental microbiological technique established in 1884, is crucial for bacterial identification and classification. Despite its significance, there is an ongoing need to enhance laboratory efficiency and reduce diagnostic turnaround times. Lean strategies, originating from Taiichi Ohno's work with Toyota, emphasize waste elimination and process improvement, offering a promising approach to optimizing laboratory operations. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the impact of implementing Lean strategies on the efficiency of Gram staining procedures within a microbiology laboratory, focusing on reducing turnaround times and improving diagnostic precision without compromising quality. Methods: A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted at the Department of Pathology, Combined Military Hospital, Lahore, from September to December 2022. Utilizing a non-probability convenience sampling technique, 122 samples were analyzed pre and post Lean implementation. Lean methodologies, including Just-In-Time inventory management and standardized work procedures, were applied to optimize sample transport, accessioning, processing, and staining phases. The study employed SPSS version 25 for statistical analysis, using the chi-square test to compare efficiencies, with a significance level set at p<0.05. Results: Post-implementation of Lean strategies, significant reductions in non-value-added times were observed across all stages of the Gram staining process. Transport and accessioning times were reduced from 20 and 48 minutes to 15 and 30 minutes, respectively. The staining process time decreased from 121 to 104 minutes, and microscopy time was reduced from 201 to 56 minutes. Overall, the study reported a drastic decrease in non-value-added time from 825 to 56 minutes, maintaining the quality of staining results. Conclusion: The application of Lean strategies to the Gram staining procedure significantly enhances laboratory efficiency by minimizing waste and optimizing process times. This approach not only improves diagnostic turnaround times but also maintains high-quality standards, suggesting a scalable model for broader healthcare system improvements.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Impact of Lean Strategy on Gram Staining Procedure in Microbiology Laboratory

Ain,

Farooque,

Mirza

et al. 2024

JHRR

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“…In this study, it was found that many problems such as not checking records, lack of technical knowledge, complexity of the process, and lack of education about the machine result as a heavy workload. The previous studies have shown that problems with lack of materials and devices, and problems with equipment supply, cleaning and information are the causes of waste in the pathology laboratory ( 23 , 24 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Productivity improvement in pathology laboratories using motion and time study techniques

Cinar,

Esatoglu

2023

TJPATH

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Objective: This study aimed to determine the standard time required for the performed job and to examine the standard job critically for productivity improvement in the pathology laboratory. Material and Methods: In this study that was conducted at a tertiary teaching hospital, observation, fishbone diagram, and flow charts were used to collect the information about the job process. All employees were observed from September 2017 to June 2018. The observations were recorded by video camera in order to overcome the Hawthorne effect. Nine basic procedure steps were followed for productivity improvement. Results: Within the scope of the study, the jobs of “trimming tissue blocks” and “sectioning of tissue blocks” was selected. The standard time required was 0.19 minutes for “trimming tissue blocks” and 0.34 minutes for “sectioning of tissue blocks”. The procedure steps, named “Removal of tissue block” and “Fixing the block to the device”, were removed from the flow chart to define the improved method. The implementation of the improved method brought in a gain of 11.28 work days per year. Conclusion: It is obvious that the pathology laboratory needs to take certain measures to improve working conditions and increase efficiency. Our results demonstrate applying the study techniques could reduce the workload and processing time. This study also shows that the study techniques can be applied in the hospital laboratory. Incorporation of all pathology technicians in the change or innovation process will be important in maintaining the achievements.

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“…Fishbone diagram berguna untuk menemukan faktorfaktor yang menyebabkan suatu masalah. Fishbone diagram telah banyak digunakan untuk memecahkan masalah pada berbagai bidang seperti pada berbagai bidang seperti menyelesaikan masalah pada laboratorium patologi [4], solusi untuk keterlambatan faktur [5], masalah cacat pada kemasan [6], dan masalah pada proses produksi kapal [7][8][9]. Kehilangan minyak pada proses produksi di pabrik kelapa sawit umumnya terjadi pada mesin atau peralatan air condensat, bunch press, screw press, end sludge, dan effluent seperti yang telah dikaji oleh beberapa penelitian terdahulu [10][11][12].…”

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Identifikasi Penyebab Kehilangan Crude Palm Oil (CPO) di Pabrik Kelapa Sawit

Basuki

Pamungkas

Tamalika

2023

JOPT

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PT. Y is a company engaged in the processing of fresh palm fruit bunches into Crude Palm Oil (CPO), and has a production capacity of 30 tonnes/hour. The CPO production system generally goes through a long process and there are several processes that are not optimal. One of the processes is pressing, where this process experiences a lot of oil loss. Oil loss experienced at PT. Y of 6.28 to 6.32 percent of total production. Therefore, it is important to identify the causes of oil loss in the pressing process so that it becomes a preventive measure and can reduce the percentage of oil loss during the production process. The purpose of this research is to identify the factors that cause CPO oil loss and to recommend solutions to minimize CPO oil loss in screw press machines using fishbone diagrams. A fishbone diagram is used to identify the root causes of problems in a process. The cause of the problem is often caused by five elements, namely Man, Method, Machine, Material, and Environment. Fishbone diagram is useful for finding the factors that cause a problem. The results obtained from the fishbone diagram are several factors that cause oil loss in the pressing process or in the screw press machine including machine factors, raw materials, humans, and method factors. Recommendations that can be implemented by companies include routine maintenance of screw press machines, both corrective maintenance and preventive maintenance, it is necessary to control the quality of fresh fruit bunches from the beginning of harvest until the fruit reaches the loading ramp station, and this requires training so that operators can better understand how to machine operation.

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Reducing turnaround time in a pathology laboratory using the lean methodology

Cited by 5 publications

References 49 publications

Impact of Lean Strategy on Gram Staining Procedure in Microbiology Laboratory

Impact of Lean Strategy on Gram Staining Procedure in Microbiology Laboratory

Productivity improvement in pathology laboratories using motion and time study techniques

Identifikasi Penyebab Kehilangan Crude Palm Oil (CPO) di Pabrik Kelapa Sawit

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