Implementation of Lean and Six Sigma principles in ophthalmology for improving quality of care and patient flow

Lean management is a set of principles aimed at improving processes by identifying and eliminating steps that do not add value to the consumer. Such steps lead to wasted time, resources, and expenses and result in customer and employee dissatisfaction. Although initially invented and perfected for factory assembly lines in the automobile industry, it has since disseminated extensively and has repeatedly proven a powerful “engine” for improving quality and quantity in the health-care setting. Lean implementation benefits include improved safety, reduced waiting times, increased patient satisfaction, and cost reduction. Nevertheless, it appears to be less familiar and appreciated in ophthalmology and more specifically as a tool for managing an efficient eye care clinic. In this review, we explain what “Lean” and Six Sigma are and highlight their implementation in settings such as cataract surgery, laser capsulotomy, an ophthalmic emergency room and its role as a powerful tool for improving clinic patient flow. We discuss basic principles of Lean management, review examples of implementing these principles in an ophthalmology practice, and finally, offer physicians practical tools for identifying “wasteful” processes and ways to eliminate them.