Lean Management at the Casamance Emergency Department

Véronique, head of the "Better Life in Emergency" project at Hôpital Privé La Casamance, tells us about her experience of Lean Management.

Why this project?

Emergency activity is constantly increasing, and we currently have 16,000 patient visits a year. As we await the opening of our new department at the end of 2019, we are experiencing difficulties on a daily basis and waiting times are getting longer...

So we decided to take action on our organisation using the principles of Lean Management.

The aim of our "Better Life in Emergency" project is to optimise the way the department currently operates in order to improve turnaround times, while enabling care staff to spend more time with patients.

How does this work in practice?

We are being supported in this process by an organisation that is helping us to apply the principles of Lean by providing us with a range of tools.

The concept is that "you can have dreams with Lean". "We test things out, see if they work, and if they don't, we go back!

"It's a participative approach, every opinion counts".

We began by analysing the way we work, and gathering the expectations of staff and patients. We then implemented actions and measured the results.

So, what are the results?

It's not all over yet! But there have already been a number of positive developments:

Certain areas of the department have been reorganised, the patient circuit has been clarified, the secretary/Reception and Orientation Nurse (IAO) team has been strengthened, and traceability in the patient file has been improved.

But above all, with the other ward assistants, we check every morning on the availability of hospital beds in the establishment. This enables us to plan ahead, and avoids numerous phone calls, irritation and wasted time...

By improving our communication and decompartmentalising our departments, we have succeeded in streamlining and ensuring the safety of emergency patients who need to be admitted to hospital. Now, each of us understands the constraints of the others. Professional relations, which could sometimes be "tense" during busy periods, have calmed down in all departments.

What's next?

We are continuing to improve patient pathways with emergency doctors and various specialists. We have also drawn up explanatory documents on the emergency care process, which will be distributed to patients and their families in the waiting room.

We're also thinking about the organisation of our future premises...

Any final words?

"It's been a great experience. "It breathes new life and dynamism into the team"
" Lean helps us to come up with new ideas to improve working conditions and patient safety".