Application of Six Sigma and Lean Tools to Facilitate use of an Electronic Health Record System in a Medical Office in a Sub-Urban Area of Puerto Rico

Abstract

Abstract - The study was conducted within a primary medical care office with the goal of determining how the implementation of an Electronic Health Record (EHR) system affected the attendance and patient wait time in said workplace. Using some Six Sigma and Lean manufacturing tools and techniques, it was determined that both the attendance and patient wait time were affected. The attendance was determined to have decreased by approximately 33% on average during the sampled time period, while the patient wait time increased by approximately 15 minutes, which accounts for a 33% increase. Thus, it was determined that the implementation strategy utilized during the integration of the EHR system was suboptimal, and in need of revision in order to increase both parameters. Key Terms - EHR, DMAIC, Six Sigma, Wait Time.