Vidal-Carreras PI, Garcia-Sabater JJ, Marin-Garcia JA, et al.
International journal of environmental research and public health. Date of publication 2022 Apr 2;volume 19(7):.
1. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Apr 2;19(7). pii: 4265. doi:
10.3390/ijerph19074265.
Applying Value Stream Mapping to Improve the Delivery of Patient Care in the
Oncology Day Hospital.
Vidal-Carreras PI(1), Garcia-Sabater JJ(1), Marin-Garcia JA(1).
Author information:
(1)ROGLE, Departamento de Organización de Empresas, Universitat Politècnica de
València, Camino de Vera s/n, 46021 Valencia, Spain.
Improving the delivery of patient care is an ongoing challenge in the National
Health Service (NHS). This challenge is not insignificant in the process of
chemotherapy administration for oncology patients. The present research is
motivated by a public Spanish hospital in which oncology patients receive medical
care in the Oncology Day Hospital (ODH). At the ODH, oncology patients receive
different health services by different specialists on a single day. Any
discoordination in patient flow will contribute to longer waiting times and stays
in the ODH. As oncology patients tend to have special health conditions, any
extra time in the hospital is a source of risk and discomfort. This study applies
value stream mapping methodology in a Spanish ODH to improve this situation,
reducing hospital waiting times and shorting the length of stay. For that
purpose, the path of the oncology patients is mapped and the current state of the
system is analyzed. Working at takt time and levelling the workload are proposed
for improving the working conditions for healthcare personnel. As a result, the
quality of service for oncology patients who need a well-defined care profile is
improved. The singular characteristics of the Spanish NHS make it challenging to
implement new ways of working, so this study has significant theoretical and
managerial implications offering directions in which improvement is possible.
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19074265
PMCID: PMC8998329
PMID: 35409944 [Indexed for MEDLINE]
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