Lean Principles And Simulation Application: A Case Study Of Infertility Hospital

Abstract

At present, the escalation in the number of individuals seeking treatment at a particular infertility center can be attributed to the heightened demand from numerous couples. The statistical data for a period of one month illustrates that the aggregate time taken by each patient is 338.26 minutes. The primary objective of this study is to enhance this metric through the implementation of lean methodology. The existing operational procedures have been transcribed into a computational model for simulation purposes. This model has been constructed utilizing data that has been fitted based on observations from each stage of the process. The outcomes derived from executing the simulation model reveal that the payment unit experiences the highest volume of work in progress, involving 492 individuals. Notably, the blood testing unit displays the lengthiest waiting period, amounting to 180 minutes (equivalent to approximately 53.21%). Various strategies have been put forth for enhancement. Following an analysis of the simulation findings, the initial strategy exhibits a potential reduction in total patient lead time by 2.73% for males and 2.00% for females. Similarly, the second strategy could lead to a decrease in the average total duration by 1.54% for males and 1.43% for females. Moreover, the final strategy, boasting the most substantial decrease, presents reductions of 5.87% for males and 2.92% for females. Even, when combining the approaches, the better scenarios have been established such as (1-3) case with 9.4% for males and 5.96% for females, or reached 10.27% and 6.38% for male and female, respectively, with (1-2-3) case. Furthermore, it is advisable to conduct further investigations aimed at refining the workflow and potentially implementing the model across numerous advanced medical facilities specializing in examinations and treatments.