Lean Six Sigma methodology application in health care settings: an integrative review

Abstract

Objective: to analyze the scientific production on the results of Lean Six Sigma methodology in health care institutions. Methods: an integrative literature review, with the following question: what are the results in health institutions using Lean Six Sigma and Six Sigma methodology? The search was carried out at MEDLINE, LILACS, BDENF, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Scopus, with no time frame. Results: thirty-four articles were included, published between 2005 and 2019, of which 52.9% came from the United States of America. The most commonly found improvements were in hospital institutions and from the perspective of customers and internal processes. Conclusion: using Lean Six Sigma methodology proved to be effective in the different health care settings, evidencing a gap in its application regarding people engagement and training.