What do lean management principles aim to achieve in healthcare?

Lean management principles aim to streamline processes and reduce waste within healthcare settings. These principles focus on maximizing value for patients while minimizing resource use. By identifying inefficiencies and eliminating unnecessary steps, lean management enhances the overall flow of care, improves patient satisfaction, and often leads to better health outcomes. The emphasis is on creating more efficient workflows, which can free up healthcare professionals to spend more time on patient care rather than administrative tasks.

In contrast, increasing operational costs would run counter to lean principles, which seek to minimize costs while maximizing quality. Expanding facilities to accommodate more patients may seem beneficial but does not align with the core goals of lean management, which is about improving efficiency and reducing waste. Similarly, enhancing exhaustive documentation can lead to more bureaucracy rather than streamline operations, which contradicts the essence of lean thinking focused on simplification and efficiency.