A lean-based method for patient journey improvement: enhancing value and performance in healthcare delivery

Purpose This research introduces a lean-based method, from the customer’s perspective, aimed at continuously improving the sequence of value and non-value stages throughout the purchase journey, named the ideal customer journey method (ICJM). Design/methodology/approach The ICJM is grounded in a conceptual framework called customer journey engineering (CJE), structured by Guimarães et al. (2023). CJE, in turn, is based on lean thinking principles and the value stream mapping (VSM) tool. Findings The ICJM comprises five methodological steps that iteratively enhance the patient’s healthcare journey. In the example presented, the ICJM led to measurable improvements in 15 key performance indicators with minimal effort or cost. These included a 22% reducing in the number of stages, a 17% reduction in patient engagement time, a 29% increase in patient satisfaction index, and a 20% improvement in value time for the patient analysed. Research limitations/implications Further research is needed to validate these findings across different customer journeys, enabling refinements to the ICJM. While this study adopts a customer-centric perspective through lean thinking, future research could explore its integration with provider-based approaches to enhance shared value creation. Originality/value Regardless of the specific context in which it is applied, the ICJM is built upon lean principles, contributing to the structuring of any customer purchase journey. The integration of ICJM and CJE enables identifying, classifying and quantifying value and non-value stages, reducing waste and providing actionable recommendations that benefit both customers and service providers.