The organizational benefits of the Kaizen approach at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke (CHUS)

Aim: The purpose of this study was to calculate the cost savings associated with using the kaizen approach in our hospital. Methods: Originally developed in Japan, the kaizen approach, based on the idea of continuous improvement, has considerable support in North America, including in the Quebec health care system. This study assessed the first fifteen kaizen projects at the CHUS. Results: Based on an economic evaluation, we showed that using the kaizen approach can result in substantial cost savings. Conclusion: The success of the kaizen approach requires compliance with specific prerequisites. The future of the approach will depend on our ability to comply with these prerequisites. More specifically, such compliance will determine whether the approach is merely a passing fad or a strategy for improving our management style to promote greater efficiency. //ABSTRACT IN FRENCH: Objectif : lobjectif de cette étude était dévaluer lampleur des économies de coûts associées à la mise en place de la démarche Kaizen dans notre centre hospitalier. Méthodes : cette approche damélioration continue, dorigine japonaise, connaît un engouement important en Amérique du nord et en particulier dans le réseau de la santé au Québec. Notre étude a effectué le bilan des quinze premiers projets Kaizen au Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke. Reproduced by permission of Bibliothèque de Sciences Po