Hospital kanban system implementation: Evaluating satisfaction of nursing personnel

AbstractLiterature on healthcare supply chain management has shown that the kanban system can provide significant benefits. However, very few benefits have been empirically demonstrated and the extent of each remains unknown. This study aims to measure nurses’ satisfaction with kanban systems in logistics of medical consumables and assesses possible advantages and differences among user groups through an anonymous survey at Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena of Seville, Spain. Treatment of responses included an exploratory factor analysis, and a CAPTCA analysis. The results showed a high level of satisfaction for each aspect of the kanban system. Moreover, it highlighted the differences of opinion between groups of individuals according to workplace, nursing units, job category, seniority, age and kanban training. The exploratory factor analysis revealed that two factors underlie the collected assessments: the inherent advantages of a kanban system, and the logistics system performance as a whole. Thus, hospital managers should promote the implementation of kanban systems, since it increases nurses’ satisfaction and provides significant benefits

Improving a hospital's supply chain through lean management

Objetivos: La gestión del suministro constituye un área en la que los hospitales tienen importantes oportunidades de mejora. Este trabajo pretende analizar cómo la aplicación de los principios de Lean puede mejorar los costes logísticos y la satisfacción de los usuarios. Métodos: Análisis de los resultados de una experiencia de reorganización del sistema logístico de un hospital basada en algunos principios Lean. Para el cálculo de los costes logísticos se ha utilizado el método del coste completo o full costing de contabilidad analítica de gestión. La satisfacción del usuario se evaluó mediante encuesta anónima. El tratamiento de los datos de la encuesta incluyó análisis factorial y el modelo de análisis de la varianza ANOVA. Resultados: Los datos obtenidos mostraron una mejora en la gestión de logística tras la implantación de Lean, con reducción de costes y mejora del nivel de satisfacción del usuario interno. Se ha observado que el personal sanitario percibe y valora el servicio logístico de manera global, sin diferenciar los aspectos del servicio, detectándose diferencias en cuanto al grado de satisfacción percibida por distintos grupos de usuarios. Conclusiones: La experiencia analizada ha permitido comprobar la aplicabilidad e idoneidad de los principios Lean para mejorar los costes e incrementar la satisfacción de los usuarios de servicios logísticos hospitalarios. Palabras clave: Logística. Suministros de hospitales. Suministro y distribución. Gestión Lean. Satisfacción del personal. Costes y análisis de costes.Objectives: Supply management is an area where hospitals have significant opportunities for improvement. The main objective of this paper has been to analyze how the application of Lean principles can improve logistics costs and user satisfaction. In connection with satisfaction, it also aimed to examine which aspects of the service define it and check for differences between different groups of users. Methods: The results of an experience to reorganize the hospital logistic system based on some Lean principles have been studied. This is therefore a case study, which combine different methods of data collection. The logistics cost calculation was carried out using the full costing method. To measure satisfaction of healthcare personnel, the internal logistics service users, an anonymous survey was conducted. Processing of the data obtained from the survey have included exploratory analysis, factor analysis and ANOVAs. Results: The data have showed an improvement in logistics management after the implemen- tation of Lean principles. Logistics costs were reduced and the satisfaction level of the internal users with the new logistics system was increased. Some differences in the degree of satisfac- tion by different groups of users were also detected, although they did not seem to distinguish between different aspects of logistic service. Conclusions: The analyzed experience shows the applicability and suitability of Lean principles to improve logistics operational costs and increase user satisfaction

Implantación del sistema Kanban en Hospitales: evaluación de la satisfacción de enfermería

Literature on healthcare supply chain management has shown that the kanban system can provide significant benefits. However, very few benefits have been empirically demonstrated and the extent of each remains unknown. This study aims to measure nurses’ satisfaction with kanban systems in logistics of medical consumables and assesses possible advantages and differences among user groups through an anonymous survey at Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena of Seville, Spain. Treatment of responses included an exploratory factor analysis, and a CAPTCA analysis. The results showed a high level of satisfaction for each aspect of the kanban system. Moreover, it highlighted the differences of opinion between groups of individuals according to workplace, nursing units, job category, seniority, age and kanban training. The exploratory factor analysis revealed that two factors underlie the collected assessments: the inherent advantages of a kanban system, and the logistics system performance as a whole. Thus, hospital managers should promote the implementation of kanban systems, since it increases nurses’ satisfaction and provides significant benefits.La literatura sobre cadena de suministro en sanidad ha mostrado que el sistema kanban puede proporcionar importantes ventajas a las organizaciones sanitarias. Sin embargo, muy pocas de ellas se han demostrado y valorado empíricamente. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo medir la satisfacción de la enfermería con el sistema kanban, valorar cada una de sus posibles ventajas e identificar posibles diferencias entre diferentes grupos de usuarios. El trabajo ha consistido en realizar una encuesta anónima en el Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena de Sevilla, Espa˜na. El tratamiento de las respuestas incluye un análisis factorial exploratorio y un análisis CAPTCA. Los resultados muestran un alto nivel de satisfacción con cada aspecto del sistema kanban y la existencia de diferencias entre individuos según centro de trabajo, unidad de enfermería, categoría laboral, antigüedad, edad y formación en kanban. El análisis factorial exploratorio se˜nala la existencia de dos factores subyacentes a las valoraciones recogidas: las ventajas inherentes del sistema kanban y el rendimiento del sistema logístico en su conjunto. Como conclusión, los directivos hospitalarios deberían promover la implantación de sistemas kanban ya que ello incrementa la satisfacción de enfermería y proporciona importantes beneficios