ABSTRACT
What Is Lean Healthcare? Lean is a management system, predicated on the Toyota Production System, which is used to deliver world-class quality and customer service to patients, caregivers, and their surrounding communities. The Toyota Production System (yes, the same Toyota that makes personal transportation in the form of cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles) is the comprehensive business approach and corresponding culture Toyota embraces toward continuous process improvement to deliver compelling value to their customers. The words Lean and the Toyota Production System (TPS) are used synonymously. Technically, these two terms are not identical, but both words are recognized as being one in the same, so I will use the term Lean going forward. Before I describe what is meant by continuous improvement, it will be helpful to better understand a few essential Lean terms. After we understand these Lean concepts, we can more easily define Lean healthcare.
