Lean implementation problems in the healthcare system : A case study conducted at Torsby hospital

Abstract: This thesis is a case study conducted at the Torsby hospital, medicine department in Torsby, Sweden. The hospital has some financial, communication, and process standardizing problems and was aiming to solve them by implementing lean strategies. The data for this study were collected through structured interviews and observations in the hospital. A thorough discussion of the information gathered from the interviews and the observations made are presented related to the theoretical frame of the study. The findings of this study showed that the lean concept is actually applicable to the healthcare system except for some problems that may affect the success of the lean implementation process in the hospital. By removing or fixing these problems, the hospital can reap the benefits of the implementation process. This study presents and discusses problems in question and suggests some relevant solutions.