Contribuições do Lean Healthcare na gestão da rotina e de indicadores de desempenho na unidade de terapia intensiva (UTI): uma abordagem para aprimorar a eficiência e a qualidade do cuidado

Abstract

The increasing complexity of the healthcare system and the pressure for greater efficiency and quality have driven the search for innovative management strategies in hospitals. In this context, Lean Healthcare, originating from the Lean Manufacturing production system, stands out as a promising approach to optimize processes, reduce waste, and improve care outcomes. In the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), an environment characterized by high criticality, limited resources, and urgent demands, the efficient management of performance indicators is essential to ensure patient safety and quality care. However, the sector faces challenges such as communication failures, wasted time and resources, and difficulties in standardizing processes. This study aims to analyze how the application of Lean Healthcare tools can assist in strategic decision-making in the hospital ICU sector. The research seeks to understand how this approach contributes to problem identification and resolution, continuous improvement, and support for management based on performance indicators. To achieve this goal, a case study was conducted, classified as applied research with exploratory and descriptive objectives and a combined approach. The study explored lean concepts in the healthcare and office domains, performance indicators, and Lean tools. Initially, the sector's problems were diagnosed through the construction of a Value Stream Map (VSM) and the identification of waste. Subsequently, root causes were identified, prioritized, and used to develop an action plan. The future VSM was projected based on the results of the action plan, and a comparative analysis between the current and future VSM was performed. By applying lean tools in the sector, waste in the primary activities was reduced, improving the management of the sector's indicators and enabling more informed and visual decision-making through the developed outputs.