We want to create a system that minimizes the chances of error. Using the techniques of Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing, we want to anticipate and avoid sources of error by standardizing work and eliminating waste.

“One of the biggest obstacles in the pursuit of improved patient safety is variability. The problem with variability (especially when it comes to patient care) is that the quality of care often suffers as a result–the more variability, the more likely that something bad could happen. What we want to strive for at BSI is the opposite of variability, something called “standard work”. Let’s look at this idea with the metaphor of a product assembly line.

“The book The Machine That Changed the World is a great example of how the Toyota motor company employed standard work to address the problem of variability. Automotive companies of the time cared little about the concept of variability as their products came off the assembly line. This led to tremendous waste and a wide range of quality found in these products. But industry leaders just assumed this was the cost of doing business. The Toyota company disagreed. They set out to improve the system by cutting out anything which was inefficient and anything which would keep them from tightly controlling the quality of their product. The result: a standard, high quality product which has made Toyota a world leader in both production and quality.

“What was so different about their approach? Virtually all of the success Toyota had came from their determination to root out inefficiency, variability, and decreased product quality (though there are many other things which also made them successful). These are the same principles we at BSI want to apply to healthcare. Our goal is to help change the culture of healthcare like Toyota model did for the automotive industry–reducing variability and improving quality through standard work. By controlling the quality of care we provide, we can work to reduce the incidence of preventable medical errors and improve the outcomes for all patients. ”

Austin Vegas, Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine, ’22

Gabriel Brotzman, Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine, ’22