Lean Healthcare: Factors Influencing Sustainability Of Sarawak General Hospital

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to identify the factors influencing the sustainability of Lean Healthcare initiatives in Sarawak General Hospital. The motivation for this study was driven by the previous studies exploring the performance of operation in relation to the sustainability of lean healthcare in Malaysia involving private hospitals. However, there are currently very few studies exploring the sustainability of lean healthcare in the public hospitals in the Ministry of Health Malaysia. Implementation of Lean healthcare for more than 3 years, involving three departments in Sarawak General Hospital provided an adequate time frame to study the various factors which influence its sustainability. Consequently, this study proposed a conceptual framework to study the relationships between the variables.  Since the quantitative method was applied, the questionnaires were developed through exhaustive literature review. The survey questionnaires were distributed to all 81 employees who were involved in the Lean Healthcare initiatives in Sarawak General Hospital from the Emergency & Trauma Department, General Medicine Department and Radiotherapy & Oncology Department. The data collected were analysed using Descriptive analysis, Pearson’s correlation test and Multiple Linear Regression technique. The results indicate that training, lean process, as well as the organisational culture positively improved sustainability. These findings have contributed theoretically and practically with imperative implications to academicians, policymakers, and public hospitals.