By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    headphones can create health problems
    The Harmful Health Effects of Using Headphones
    September 24, 2021
    Headache causes
    4 Causes Of Headache You Probably Didn’t Know About
    December 28, 2021
    follow these steps to recover from your injury
    What Steps Should You Take to Recover More Quickly from an Injury?
    April 12, 2022
    Latest News
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
    The Wide-Ranging Benefits of Magnesium Supplements
    June 11, 2025
    The Best Home Remedies for Migraines
    June 5, 2025
    The Hidden Impact Of Stress On Your Body’s Alignment And Balance
    May 22, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Cash Transfers: Good for HIV/AIDS Too
    August 9, 2012
    unnecessary medical tests
    Eagerly Awaiting the Death of Defensive Medicine
    September 5, 2013
    Image
    Mobile Health Around the Globe – mHealth Fighting Malnutrition in India
    December 17, 2012
    Latest News
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
    Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
    June 25, 2025
    When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
    June 20, 2025
    Preventing Contamination In Healthcare Facilities Starts With Hygiene
    June 15, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: The Benefits of Lean Processes in Radiology Practice Management
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Business > The Benefits of Lean Processes in Radiology Practice Management
Business

The Benefits of Lean Processes in Radiology Practice Management

Andy Salmen
Andy Salmen
Share
5 Min Read
Lean_Processes
SHARE

Lean_Processes

Contents
DefinitionHow practices can benefit

The increasing competition in private practices puts a significant burden on your shoulders. You’re no longer just required to deliver excellent results but you also want to cut on costs by increasing efficiency to maximize resources.

Lean_Processes

The increasing competition in private practices puts a significant burden on your shoulders. You’re no longer just required to deliver excellent results but you also want to cut on costs by increasing efficiency to maximize resources.

More Read

health policy
Does the Doctor Need a Boss?
The Disconnect Between Hospital Marketing and What Patients Need
Carousel: Your New Weapon in Facebook Marketing
“Generic Medical Devices” FDA Approved Doctor Preferred Orthopedic Implants Made in the USA Costing 50% Less
Publix Closing ‘Little Clinic” Retail Medical Clinics

Roger Gerard, PHD, admits that healthcare costs are just too much. He says, “It’s becoming increasingly difficult for patients to pay what they need to pay. Unless we cut out the waste, those systems and processes that add very little or nothing to people buying our services, we’re in for a rough time.”

Mr. Gerard believes that we must acknowledge that we practice in an “ecosystem.” No practice operates in isolation, we are all interdependent. In addition to private practice, there is long term care, home health, technology and so much more.

LEAN management is a practice that has existed for some time and is gaining more attention in healthcare. So what makes this approach a viable alternative in the quest for increased profitability in a radiology practice?

Definition

The LEAN approach was first used by the Toyota Production Systems in Japan in the 1980s. The idea then was to maximize the value of products and services delivered to the client. Toyota set out to find out the exact needs of their consumers with a resolve to provide these needs with a higher level of quality, at the lowest possible costs, and in the shortest amount of time possible.

The ultimate goal is to deliver exactly what the consumer needs through a perfect value creation strategy with zero tolerance of waste. To accomplish this, the focus shifts from optimizing separate assets, technologies, and vertical departments to optimizing horizontal flow of products and services across the assets, technologies, and departments.

This means that you must identify and eliminate waste, not at isolated points, but along entire value streams. This helps to create processes that need reduced human effort, less capital, less space, and less time to deliver the right products and services to consumers in the right amount of time. It also increases flexibility, making it easier to respond to consumer needs with high quality, high variety, low cost and in greatly reduced throughput times.

According to LEAN, there are seven sources of waste, with inventory, waiting, and over-processing leading the queue. Others in the list include transportation, motion, defects, and over-production.

How practices can benefit

The benefits of LEAN to any business and to radiology practices in particular, aren’t hard to predict. They include:

  • Cutting out inefficiencies, and
  • Taking out steps that aren’t necessary, so
  • Customers get through the loop faster, something they will be very happy about.

It is reported that some practices reduce waiting times by up to 35 minutes. Imagine what that could do for your practice.

Another common benefit is staff getting out on time. If there is anything your employees will be so thankful for, it is this.

  • Stress is reduced,
  • Work-personal life is balanced, and what follows is
  • Improved job satisfaction.

Many times you’ll also see improvements in team dynamics. At the end of the day you have a happy staff that you’re able to retain for a long time.

Finally, reduced overtime comes with;

  • Reduced costs on the part of the practice,
  • Savings on both overpaid costs and overtime overhead, and
  • A reduction in inventory as allocations and supplies become efficient.

Summary

Rolling out LEAN shouldn’t be difficult. However, when you’ve decided to make the leap, you will need a very interested physician and an equally interested administrator.

Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

9 Lifestyle Tweaks That Can Add Years to Your Life
9 Healthcare Lifestyle Tweaks That can Add Years to Your Life
lifestyle
July 11, 2025
car accident lawsuit
Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
Policy & Law
July 6, 2025
women dental care
What Is a Smile Makeover and How Much Does It Cost?
Dental health
June 30, 2025
HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps
Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
Global Healthcare Policy & Law Technology
June 25, 2025

You Might also Like

Millennial Speak: Reaching the Next Generation of Healthcare Consumers

April 21, 2016

Are MD/MBAs Real Doctors?

September 7, 2011
MultiBriefs business association news briefs
BusinessHospital Administration

Multibriefs: Exclusives for Healthcare Administration Associations

September 23, 2014
hospital supply chains
BusinessFinanceHospital AdministrationTechnology

To Up Patient Satisfaction, Hospital Supply Chain Units Need Better IT and Technology

August 20, 2014
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?