Featured Article
I was interviewed and featured in a recent article in The Hospitalist magazine. Click here to read if you have access.
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Featured Podcasts
I was also interviewed about Lean and healthcare for two different podcasts. Here are links for checking those out:
"Better Process" Podcast
"Competing Podcast"
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Hello!
Books are printed and on their way through the warehouse, according to my publisher. I'm sorry books aren't shipping yet, but they should start shipping out any day now for those who pre-ordered. Amazon still lists "7/21" as the release date. Sorry for any frustration for those who are waiting. I know I'm anxious to see the final product too!
The Power of Checklists
On my blog, I write about checklists quite a bit, as this has been a growing trend in healthcare. This is a very positive trend and I see many parallels between checklists and the Lean approach of "standardized work." Checklists are powerful tools -- but there are many reported cases of errors that occurred when somebody did not follow the checklist. One hospital recently had a wrong-site surgery because a surgical team did not do the "time out." They had standardized work, they had a checklist. But, it wasn't followed. How do we prevent this?
I recently wrote about the importance of managing checklists and this quote from a doctor who wrote a great letter to the editor in a UK newspaper:
"It's not the checklist itself that's important - what matters is how it is managed."
A
checklist, or any form of standardized work, is useless if it is not
followed consistently or, in some cases, 100% of the time. I'm sure much effort will be put into the writing of
the checklists. Ideally, the checklists will be written by the people
who actually do the work, rather than being copied from another site or
being handed down from a manager or a single expert. Hopefully,
people working in the process will be taught to understand the value of
a checklist, rather than just being told to do it.
So if we have a checklist in place, how do we make sure it is followed 100% of the time?
Again, creating "buy in" by involving people and selling the idea of
the checklist is important. That is leadership's job. It is important
for managers to "audit" the use of checklists, but we cannot watch
people 100% of the time. Hence, the need to create that buy-in so
people will do the right thing, in all circumstances, when not being
watched.Leadership must make it clear that ANY team member can call a
true "time out"
if a surgical procedure, for example, is about to go forward without
the checklist being used.
Leadership must support and stand by staff
members, particularly junior ones, who take what might be a courageous
stand against, let's say, a powerful surgeon who doesn't want to do the
checklist.
While we don't want to "hound" people constantly, it is important that leaders check frequently to make sure the checklists are being used.
We want to avoid a situation like one where a hospital leader, before
Lean, explained (somewhat tongue in cheek) that "this process is so
critical that nobody ever checks to make sure it's happening."
So how do we, in a Lean environment, make sure that checklists and standardized work are followed, every time?
If you want to read the rest of my blog post, or if you want to comment on your use of checklists, click here.
As always, good luck with your Lean journey,
Mark GrabanAuthor, "Lean Hospitals" Email: mark@leanhospitalsbook.com 
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Free Chapter 1 Download
While we are waiting for books to start shipping, here's a reminder that you can download Chapter 1 of my book for free, in PDF format. Others
will be able to register to receive the chapter via email, but I wanted
to give you the first chance to get this. My current plan is to leave
the above link active only through Friday, July 11. I
hope you enjoy the first chapter and that you'll purchase the book to
read more. If you have comments or questions, you can visit my Message Board for the book and the section for Chapter 1. If you like the chapter, feel free to forward it (or this email) to your friends and colleagues.
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Message Board
Do you want to talk about the book or, in general, about your Lean efforts? What is working well? What are you struggling with? Visit www.leanboard.org to discuss Lean healthcare topics. The site has been expanded to include discussion about each chapter of the book. Registration is free! Check it out.
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Book Website
Visit the website for the book at www.leanhospitalsbook.com. The site's content is still being built out, but you can check out the outline of the book and some early reviews and endorsements. Check back for more content and previews.
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Spread the Word
Help spread the word about the book by forwarding this email to colleagues who may want to learn more about Lean in hospitals.
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