Incorporating the Patient Voice into Rapid Process Improvement Workshops (RPIWs) Heather Thiessen, Mark Richardson, Lisa Clatney

This Session is sponsored by:

Incorporating the Patient Voice into RPIWs

Health Care Quality Summit 2013

What is Lean?

• Lean is a patient-focused approach to

identifying and eliminating all non-value

adding activities and reducing waste within

an organization.

What does Kaizen mean?

• Japanese term for “continuous

improvement” or “change for the better.”

Typically, a short team based

improvement effort.

Rapid Process Improvement

Workshop (RPIW)

• An RPIW is a week-long event where teams

of patients and family members, staff and

clinicians focus on one problem, identify the

root causes, create and test solutions, and by

week’s end, are ready to implement the

solution in the workplace. The team checks

the solution at 30, 60, 90 and 180 days to see

if it has worked and has been sustained.

Background

• As of April 19, 2013 the Saskatoon Health

Region will have completed 35 RPIWs.

• By the end of Fiscal 2013 – 2014 SHR will

have completed 71 RPIWs.

• Each and every RPIW has a dedicated

Patient and Family Advisor as an integral

member of the RPIW Team.

Describing an Elephant

Patient Perspective

In the Beginning…

• March 26 – 30, 2012 the SHR launched its

first 2 RPIW Event Weeks.

• During the week of April 23 – 27, 2012

SHR launched 2 more RPIW Event Weeks.

• RPIW #4 was defined as Standardize Room

Turnover in the OR at RUH.

All about me…

• Who would have

thought that someone

who depends so much

on the heath care

system could actually

now be an important

part of improving the

health care system.

You can make a difference!

My amazing team….

What an empowering

experience…

Observing, observing, observing

Finding your voice…

Supporting our Advisors

I’m your “RPIW buddy”

What happens after….

• Closing the loop

• 30, 60, 90, 180 day audits

• Future opportunities identified

Everything can be improved.

~Clarence W. Barron