Reducing Errors in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine: A Lean Production System Approach

Washington G2 Reports Laboratory Outreach 2008. June 18, Las Vegas, Nevada

College of American Pathologists Annual Meeting
September 26, 2008, San Diego,  California

American Society of Clinical Pathologists Annual Meeting, October 19, 2008 Baltimore Maryland

American Society of Clinical Pathologists Annual Meeting, October 20, 2007 the Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel.

Traditionally, efforts to reduce errors and improve patient safety in the practice of Laboratory Medicine have been based on quality benchmarking and performance tracking techniques. Over the past several decades, advances in lean production techniques have provided models for performance improvement that may be more effective and more efficient than traditional approaches. This course will provide a broad overview of how lean production techniques may be applied in the clinical laboratory to reduce errors and improve patient safety.

Following this course, you will be able to:

• Understand the mechanics and shortcomings of the traditional benchmarking approach to error reduction.
• Understand what the lean production system is and how it works.
• Identify those practices employed in the lean production system that can be applied in the clinical laboratory to reduce patient errors and improve patient safety.