{domain:"www.qualitydigest.com",server:"169.47.211.87"} Skip to main content

User account menu
Main navigation
  • Topics
    • Customer Care
    • FDA Compliance
    • Healthcare
    • Innovation
    • Lean
    • Management
    • Metrology
    • Operations
    • Risk Management
    • Six Sigma
    • Standards
    • Statistics
    • Supply Chain
    • Sustainability
    • Training
  • Videos/Webinars
    • All videos
    • Product Demos
    • Webinars
  • Advertise
    • Advertise
    • Submit B2B Press Release
    • Write for us
  • Metrology Hub
  • Training
  • Subscribe
  • Log in
Mobile Menu
  • Home
  • Topics
    • 3D Metrology-CMSC
    • Customer Care
    • FDA Compliance
    • Healthcare
    • Innovation
    • Lean
    • Management
    • Metrology
    • Operations
    • Risk Management
    • Six Sigma
    • Standards
    • Statistics
    • Supply Chain
    • Sustainability
    • Training
  • Login / Subscribe
  • More...
    • All Features
    • All News
    • All Videos
    • Contact
    • Training

To Better Protect Patients, Health Care Needs More ‘Lean Thinking’

Processes that create the problems shouldn’t be used to fix them

Mark Graban
Wed, 04/25/2012 - 12:14
  • Comment
  • RSS

Social Sharing block

  • Print
Body

As the Supreme Court debates the fate of “Obama Care,” we should recall the formal name of the law: the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Most of the public debate has been about the cost of health care, losing sight of the urgent need to fix the ongoing crisis of quality and patient safety. More health care organizations need to adopt the lean management philosophy to “bend the cost curve” and save lives, as some innovators have proven during the last 10 years.

ADVERTISEMENT

The most highly touted aspects of the PPACA include attempts to protect patients by increasing their access to health insurance. A 2009 Harvard Medical School study estimated that 45,000 Americans die each year due to a lack of coverage. Even if patients can get appointments or get admitted to a hospital, there are dangers that are underappreciated by the public. The Department of Health and Human Services reported, in 2008, that 80,000 Medicare patients die each year due to preventable medical errors. Other studies estimate that 90,000 patients are killed annually by hospital-acquired infections. Ironically, we are granting easier access to a very dangerous system.

 …

Want to continue?
Log in or create a FREE account.
Enter your username or email address
Enter the password that accompanies your username.
By logging in you agree to receive communication from Quality Digest. Privacy Policy.
Create a FREE account
Forgot My Password

Add new comment

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.
Please login to comment.
      

© 2025 Quality Digest. Copyright on content held by Quality Digest or by individual authors. Contact Quality Digest for reprint information.
“Quality Digest" is a trademark owned by Quality Circle Institute Inc.

footer
  • Home
  • Print QD: 1995-2008
  • Print QD: 2008-2009
  • Videos
  • Privacy Policy
  • Write for us
footer second menu
  • Subscribe to Quality Digest
  • About Us
  • Contact Us