Importance of 5S in Hospitals

Enhancing productivity and improving process efficiency is the ultimate objective of any organization. This objective attains more focus in the healthcare industry as hospitals have a diverse workflow in various segments. All the processes in a hospital must be monitored using a professional hospital management system to streamline its operations and enhance its efficiency.

The concept of 5S is a novel approach to achieve optimum quality management in hospitals. Introduce initially in the industrial sector, this path-breaking concept was first implemented in the year 2000 at the Castle Street hospital in Sri Lanka by Dr. Wimal Karandagoda. After its stupendous success, the 5S concept has become the rulebook at all hospitals to achieve continuous improvement in healthcare efficiency.

What is 5S?

The 5S concept is a part of the "Lean" approach of Management which aims to reduce waste and improving efficiency and workflow of processes in an organization. Often used in conjunction with Management principles like Kaizen or Continuous Improvement, TQM or Total Quality Management, the 5S concept is based on the motto- "everything in its place and a place for everything".

Why do we need 5S in healthcare?

Summarized in 5 simple steps - sort, straighten, shine, standardize and sustain, the 5S methodology is highly effective in healthcare by reducing waste in the form of unwanted resources, system downtime etc and escalating process workflow.

Hospitals often function with a disorganized working environ as they integrate multiple disciplines which are interconnected to each other. The workflows of each and every department  has to be continuously monitored and improvised to achieve overall efficiency. This is a  challenging task which might lead to unintentional lapses  and accumulation of waste.

The 5 S concept is the ultimate solution in eliminating the waste in hospitals  like

• Excess medical supplies
• The waiting period for both patients for doctors and physicians for supplies.
• Under-utilized staff for patients
• Unused or under-used equipmentNon-availability of supplies at the right time at operating room etc.
• Unwanted delays in surgical and diagnostic procedures etc.

How to implement the 5S concept in hospitals?

The 5S concept is implemented easily in hospitals by the following steps.

1.SORT
The first step in the 5S concept is for hospitals to sort their inventory of stocked medical supplies, equipment, staff and resources. List all the absolutely essential items and separate the unwanted ones. For instance, stock keepers can segregate expired medicines, damaged syringes, outdated devices etc., all of which can be eliminated.

2. STRAIGHTEN
It is time for hospitals to straighten their steps or fine-tune their operations. They can do this by

1. Labeling all rooms with patient-friendly signboards.
2. Using directional signs to help patients to access the various parts of the hospital quickly.
3. Grouping related services like radiology, serology etc. together and placing them close to billing counters.
4. Organize supplies and stock in labeled bins to identify and locate them quickly.

3. SHINE
For a hospital to shine in reputation, it must first polish its processes. The "Shine" aspect of 5 S refers to spotless housekeeping, hygiene, sanitation and cleanliness in hospitals. Sterilized equipment. clothing and supplies, clean hospital wards and floors, spotless counter tops and operating tables, trash cans emptied often and a general air of disinfectant can make the hospital shine.

4.STANDARDIZE
Erratic functioning and mismatched procedures at hospitals will only lead to wastage of time and hospital resources. To avoid this, every hospital must standardize its procedures for operating, nursing, diagnostics and even housekeeping or billing facilities.

5.SUSTAIN
The last step in 5S is to sustain these improvements by continuously monitoring and improvising on the above 4 steps to improve quality of care.

Strengthen your hospital's management and optimize its operations by enlisting the services of professional healthcare consultants in implementing the 5S.