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Guiding Inpatient Quality Improvement: A Systematic Review Of Lean And Six Sigma, Justin Glasgow, Jill Scott-Caziewell, Peter Kaboli

Jill Scott-Cawiezell

Background: Two popular quality improvement (QI) approaches in health care are Lean and Six Sigma. Hospitals continue to adopt these QI approaches -- or the hybrid Lean Sigma approach -- with little knowledge on how well they produce sustainable improvements. A systematic literature review was conducted to determine whether Lean, Six Sigma, or Lean Sigma have been effectively used to create and sustain improvements in the acute care setting. Methods: Databases were searched for articles published in the health care, business, and engineering literatures. Study inclusion criteria required identification of a Six Sigma, Lean, or Lean Sigma project; QI efforts …