Common Waste in healthcare

• MOTION:Unnecessary movement of people within a process (e.g. MDs walking into hallway to get supplies needed to do the job; patients walking back and forth to registration; repetitive stretching to reach supplies or printers).
• RE-WORK: A task not performed right the first time that requires repetition or correction of a process. (e.g. re-ordering of supplies or tests because staff are not able to find the results; early patient discharges that lead to readmission).
• WAITING: People or parts that wait for a work cycle to be completed (e.g. patients waiting in the emergency department to be seen; staff waiting for broken office equipment to be repaired before being able to do work).
• OVER-PROCESSING: Processing beyond the standard required by the customer. Using more resources, energy, and time in a work process not needed by customer. (e.g. producing a paper copy of a document when the computer file may be sufficient; creating reports that don’t get read and/or are not used).
• INVENTORY: Wasted stock on hand. Having too much. (e.g. stockpiling of office and clinical supplies that won’t be used for months; storing excess supplies with expiration dates that end up expiring; outdated, obsolete information in file cabinets or stored in databases).
• CONVENYANCE: Moving or restacking supplies from one location to another or moving equipment/supplies further than necessary (moving equipment back and forth).
• OVER-PRODUCTION: To produce sooner, faster or in greater quantities than customer demand. Making too much. (e.g. Printing out redundant pages in a report. Pharmacy sending medications to the inpatient ward for a patient that has already been discharge)

The wasted time and potential of people is often considered the eighth waste in healthcare. It can lead to high staff turn-over rates and job dissatisfaction. All Lean efforts are focused on identifying and driving one or more of the above wastes out of work processes.