COVID-19 surge planning in response to global pandemic in a healthcare setting: A lean six sigma approach

Abstract

Since the COVID-19 global pandemic surfaced and soon impacted many lives and industries across the globe, many organizations did not even have time to think about how to respond to such a crisis. This paper explores how the use of one such quality improvement methodology: Lean Six Sigma, helped the healthcare sector to be better prepared during the time of a global pandemic. Define, measure, analyze, improve, and control (DMAIC) is a Lean Six Sigma tool for continuous improvement. This paper discusses how DMAIC was instrumental in developing a COVID-19 Surge Planning Strategy for hospitals in the Midwestern US. A dedicated multidisciplinary team can look at the number of patients, trends, and available resources to plan effectively. Being one of the first such studies, the findings are useful for researchers and practitioners.