Lean Healthcare approach in health services: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Abstract

Lean principles are being successfully applied in the most diverse sectors beyond industry. In the health area, the so-called Lean Healthcare is gaining space with the implementation of lean methods that contribute to the maximization of value and quality to the patient. The objective of this work was to carry out a systematic review of the literature to identify and analyze the practice of Lean Healthcare and its tools in hospital environments. Scientific articles available in the database of the CAPES Periodic Portal were selected, and 161 articles were found, among which, 16 were selected. The results point to recent research, with practical applications where case studies are predominant. Lean tools have been applied in several countries to promote improvements in hospital environments, and the main ones are MFV, 5S, Standardization, Kaizen and Kanban. With this study, it was possible to observe that the use of lean techniques in health has been promoting significant benefits in the work environments, in the team's conduct, and the patients' experience, and that the human factor is what most hinders the implementation of these techniques.