title: Illusion or delusion--Lean management in the health sector.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There has been considerable interest in the implementation of practices imported from manufacturing into healthcare as a solution to rising healthcare spending and disappointing patient safety indicators. One approach that has attracted particular interest is Lean management and the purpose of this paper is to engage with this topic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Secondary research.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Despite widespread enthusiasm about the potential of Lean management processes, evidence about its contribution to higher organisational performance remains inconsistent.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This paper engages with the major Lean concepts of operations management and human resource management, including just-in-time, total quality management, total productive maintenance and does not engage in-depth with concepts related to employee empowerment, and training
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This paper contributes to the organisational management literature in healthcare by showing that although Lean management seems to have the potential to improve organisational performance it is far from a panacea against under performing hospitals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It informs policy making by suggesting that a progressive managerial philosophy has a stronger impact on healthcare performance than the adoption of practices from any particular managerial approach.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This paper provides a critical evaluation of the impact of Lean practices in informing healthcare policy. The paper contributes to the organisational management literature in healthcare by showing that even though Lean management in healthcare appears to have the potential to improve organisational performance; there remain problems with its application.
authors.forename: Bryan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: McIntosh
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sheppy
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006298:Health Services Administration; D006801:Humans; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D010557:Personnel Administration, Hospital / Q000379:methods; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration