Implementing Lean Techniques to Increase the Efficiency of a Rural Primary Care Clinic: A Prospective Controlled Study

Background: Lean, a management approach focused on identifying and eliminating waste, has been proposed as a solution for shortages in health care. Many studies implementing Lean in health care have lacked adequately designed controls. Methods: This was a prospective, block randomized, controlled study conducted in a single primary care clinic comprising three primary care providers. A multidisciplinary team constructed a value stream, proposing foci of waste and possible solutions. These were implemented during three consecutive eight-week blocks. A sample was taken of 40 random visits for each physician during each block, and one physician was randomized to implement the interventions while the other two served as controls. Results: Intervention blocks were significantly shorter compared to control blocks, with a mean difference (MD) of-1,190 seconds (s) (95% confidence interval = 1,039-1,342, p < 0.001). This was primarily the result of four interventions: (1) relocating the printer to the front desk (MD-378 s,p < 0.001), (2) adding another parallel working station (MD-258 s uploading the patient's file and MD-138 s uploading the history, p < 0.001 for both), (3) documenting in plain typing (MD-229 s, p < 0.001), and (4) rerouting delayed patients to the next available physician (MD-195 s, p = 0.004). Two steps were modestly lengthened: anamnesis (MD 24 s, p < 0.001) and explaining the diagnosis and treatment plan (MD 11 s, p = 0.001). Average productivity was increased by 1.65 appointments per hour ( p < 0.001). Burnout scores decreased from an average of 74 points during control blocks to 63.8 on intervention ( p < 0.01). No clinically or statistically significant difference was noted in quality of care, definitivity of treatment, or patient satisfaction ( p = 0.83, 0.55, and 0.77, respectively). Conclusion: Intrinsically led, multidisciplinary Lean implementation in a rural primary care clinic dramatically shortened the value stream duration, while requiring no extrinsic resources. Widening Lean implementation and research in primary care, particularly in rural settings, may increase the availability and effectiveness of primary care.