Lean management in patient flows to maximize hospital outputs, reduce waiting times and overcrowding in emergency rooms.
1
PROADI SUS, Hospital Beneficência Portuguesa de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Overcrowding in emergency rooms is due to intra-hospital problems, such as poor communication between teams, lack of routines, standardization of work and hospital discharges, generating long waiting times throughout the patient flow.
METHODS:
The use of strategies such as the implementation of patient flow segmentation, regular communication routine between areas through Huddle, management and prioritization of discharges with Kanban and the Full Capacity Protocol with those responsible and multidisciplinary actions, have been good practices for obtaining better results for teams and patient safety in public hospitals in Brazil. Several public hospitals distributed in the most diverse regions have implemented these good practices and achieved a reduction in the average length of stay of hospitalized patients, a reduction in the time spent by patients in emergency rooms, and a reduction in the waiting time for beds in inpatient units.
RESULTS:
Based on studies carried out in 60 public hospitals, there was a 40% reduction in the overcrowding rate in emergency rooms, a 35% reduction in the time spent by patients in emergency rooms and a 42% reduction in the average length of stay for hospitalized patients.
CONCLUSIONS:
The techniques applied proved to be effective both in relation to the three main indicators, as well as other types of qualitative benefits, such as improved work between teams, greater patient safety and reduced complaints from companions and family members.
Overcrowding in emergency rooms is due to intra-hospital problems, such as poor communication between teams, lack of routines, standardization of work and hospital discharges, generating long waiting times throughout the patient flow.
METHODS:
The use of strategies such as the implementation of patient flow segmentation, regular communication routine between areas through Huddle, management and prioritization of discharges with Kanban and the Full Capacity Protocol with those responsible and multidisciplinary actions, have been good practices for obtaining better results for teams and patient safety in public hospitals in Brazil. Several public hospitals distributed in the most diverse regions have implemented these good practices and achieved a reduction in the average length of stay of hospitalized patients, a reduction in the time spent by patients in emergency rooms, and a reduction in the waiting time for beds in inpatient units.
RESULTS:
Based on studies carried out in 60 public hospitals, there was a 40% reduction in the overcrowding rate in emergency rooms, a 35% reduction in the time spent by patients in emergency rooms and a 42% reduction in the average length of stay for hospitalized patients.
CONCLUSIONS:
The techniques applied proved to be effective both in relation to the three main indicators, as well as other types of qualitative benefits, such as improved work between teams, greater patient safety and reduced complaints from companions and family members.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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