Table 1 Taxonomy of Lean Six Sigma and... | Emerald Publishing

Table 1

Taxonomy of Lean Six Sigma and quality performance improvement

Lean Six Sigma construct	Definition
Continuous quality improvement	“An incremental approach towards process improvement takes an organization-wide systems perspective, which is tied to the strategic goals and aligned with a quality culture. This approach integrates continuous quality improvement activities by using interdisciplinary teams at all levels in the healthcare organization and offers reward/recognition for employees who contribute to the quality improvement process” [Ahmed et al., 2018, p. 269]
Lean management initiatives	“They emphasize patient needs by reducing costs and increasing the efficiency of the delivery speed of the medical services. Lean management initiatives include ‘5S’ practices process mapping, value stream mapping, root cause analysis, Kaizen methods, and a just-in-time approach for continuous improvement in the quality performance of the healthcare organization” [Ahmed et al., 2018, p. 269]
Six Sigma initiatives	“This approach includes process improvement methods such as define, measure, analyze, improve and control (DMAIC model processes to focus on continuous improvement” [Ahmed et al., 2018, p. 269]
Patient safety	“It refers to prevention and amelioration of adverse outcomes or injuries that stem from the process of healthcare. In the healthcare service, patient safety depends on a strong and positive patient safety culture such as awareness of patient safety, teamwork, communication, and work climate. Failures in communication and teamwork are the main causes of adverse outcomes in healthcare services” [Ahmed et al., 2018, p. 269]
Teamwork	“It can be described as a collaboration between functional units, employees, employees and managers, employees and suppliers, and between managers and non-managers. Teamwork promotes mutual trust and respect for one another in solving any organizational problems” [Ahmed et al., 2018, p. 269]
Quality performance	“Is an interconnecting set of policies and practices that enhance workforce management to achieve organizational goals through individual performance Quality performance is a system that creates a vision of the organization to understand and help each individual employee of the organization and recognize their contribution to enhance the quality performance to fulfill customer wants and desires. To measure quality performance in the healthcare sector, the managers need to clearly define the performance outcomes of a healthcare system that can be judged and quantified against quality improvement” [Ahmed et al., 2018, p. 270]

Lean Six Sigma construct	Definition
Continuous quality improvement	“An incremental approach towards process improvement takes an organization-wide systems perspective, which is tied to the strategic goals and aligned with a quality culture. This approach integrates continuous quality improvement activities by using interdisciplinary teams at all levels in the healthcare organization and offers reward/recognition for employees who contribute to the quality improvement process” [Ahmed et al., 2018, p. 269]
Lean management initiatives	“They emphasize patient needs by reducing costs and increasing the efficiency of the delivery speed of the medical services. Lean management initiatives include ‘5S’ practices process mapping, value stream mapping, root cause analysis, Kaizen methods, and a just-in-time approach for continuous improvement in the quality performance of the healthcare organization” [Ahmed et al., 2018, p. 269]
Six Sigma initiatives	“This approach includes process improvement methods such as define, measure, analyze, improve and control (DMAIC model processes to focus on continuous improvement” [Ahmed et al., 2018, p. 269]
Patient safety	“It refers to prevention and amelioration of adverse outcomes or injuries that stem from the process of healthcare. In the healthcare service, patient safety depends on a strong and positive patient safety culture such as awareness of patient safety, teamwork, communication, and work climate. Failures in communication and teamwork are the main causes of adverse outcomes in healthcare services” [Ahmed et al., 2018, p. 269]
Teamwork	“It can be described as a collaboration between functional units, employees, employees and managers, employees and suppliers, and between managers and non-managers. Teamwork promotes mutual trust and respect for one another in solving any organizational problems” [Ahmed et al., 2018, p. 269]
Quality performance	“Is an interconnecting set of policies and practices that enhance workforce management to achieve organizational goals through individual performance Quality performance is a system that creates a vision of the organization to understand and help each individual employee of the organization and recognize their contribution to enhance the quality performance to fulfill customer wants and desires. To measure quality performance in the healthcare sector, the managers need to clearly define the performance outcomes of a healthcare system that can be judged and quantified against quality improvement” [Ahmed et al., 2018, p. 270]

Source(s): Authors’ elaboration from Ahmed et al. (2018)