AHS drives down wait times using Toyota's techniques

Wasteful steps that don’t add value to the patient experience are eliminated

Alberta Health Services is embracing a process improvement technique, pioneered by car manufacturer Toyota, to deliver radiation therapy treatment faster and more efficiently to Albertans.

The concept is known as “Lean” and works by breaking down processes into steps that are carefully assessed by front-line workers. Wasteful steps that don’t add value to the patient experience are eliminated.

The first part of the project ran from December 2009 to March 2010. The goal was to increase the efficiency of radiation treatment delivery and decrease the days a patient would have to wait to receive treatment after a radiation oncologist had determined they were ready to treat.

By April 2010, the project achieved reduced wait times to within the provincial target of nine out of 10 patients waiting four weeks or less and this significant improvement over the previous year’s performance has been sustained.

Lean teams in Edmonton and Calgary have continued to meet and work with front-line staff on other improvements.

At the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton, this will involve streamlining appointment scheduling and the treatment planning process with the goal of shortened wait times and a better experience for patients while waiting. At the Tom Baker Cancer Centre in Calgary, the focus is on the collection and organization of information in preparation for a patient’s treatment; this aims to decrease the wait time from radiation therapy referral to treatment.

• Read more about our Action On: Cancer Care initiatives.
• Alberta Health Services Cancer Resources