APPLICATION OF LEAN SIX-SIGMA APPROACH TO REDUCE BIOMEDICAL EQUIPMENTS BREAKDOWN TIME AND ASSOCIATED DEFECTS

BACKGROUND Lean Six Sigma is an advanced methodology of quality management and quality improvement. Lean Six Sigma implementation in equipment maintenance can be a good solution, which can reduce the waste and variation through the DMAIC cycle. It is a need of time to adopt Lean Six Sigma methodology at all the levels of healthcare ubiquitously, since this methodology has worked wonders in other sectors like information technology, industry, education, both online and offline retail market, manufacturing etc. Biomedical equipments are the blood vessels of the hospital and it must be made sure that the critical medical devices are safe, accurate, reliable and operating at the required level of performance consistently by reduction of breakdown time and associated defects by adopting Lean Six Sigma approach. The objective of the study is to reduce the biomedical equipments breakdown time and associated defects by using Lean Six Sigma approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study was conducted at Yenepoya Medical College Hospital, Mangalore, India over a period of 15 months (March 2017-May 2018) over ninety-nine biomedical equipments in operation at Medical Intensive Care Unit. This study design is experimental. The objective was achieved by using popular DMAIC methodology. RESULTS The breakdown time reduced from 19165.83 minutes/month to an average of 14.5 minutes/month after application of Lean Six Sigma. Similarly, the average number of associated defects reduced from 40 defects/month to 6 defects/month. The Sigma level improved from 1.66 to 4.94 levels. CONCLUSION Lean Six Sigma approach is an effective and eloquent application in improving the biomedical equipment's maintenance. Lean Six Sigma approach can be adopted at various levels of healthcare system to increase the productivity, cost-effectiveness which enhances the healthcare service.