Question

In the context of healthcare, how would you define the concept of "lean"?

(a) Lean is a healthcare approach that focuses on increasing bureaucracy and paperwork to improve efficiency.
(b) Lean in healthcare refers to the practice of providing more comprehensive and expensive treatments to patients.
(c) Lean is a healthcare philosophy that aims to eliminate waste and improve processes, resulting in more efficient and effective care.
(d) Lean healthcare emphasizes increasing the number of medical tests and procedures to enhance patient outcomes.

Answer 1

Lean in healthcare aims to eliminate waste and improve efficiency through various strategies such as process optimization and using telemedicine, aligning with answer option (c).

Step-by-step explanation:

In the context of healthcare, the concept of "lean" is best defined as a philosophy that aims to eliminate waste and improve processes, with a focus on creating more efficient and effective care. This means that the correct answer to the question is option (c) 'Lean is a healthcare philosophy that aims to eliminate waste and improve processes, resulting in more efficient and effective care.' The lean approach in healthcare involves various strategies like process optimization, employing telemedicine, using electronic medical records (EMRs), and introducing new roles for healthcare professionals to cope with increasing demand and high costs while maintaining high-quality care.