Process mapping of sonography services in a military hospital using value stream map

Value stream mapping (VSM) is one of the most important and widely used tools for lean thinking to identify non-value adding activities and improve the service delivery process. The aim of this study was to design a value stream map to improve the sonography service process in a military hospital..

Methods :

Value stream mapping (VSM) is one of the most important and widely used tools for lean thinking to identify non-value adding activities and improve the service delivery process. The aim of this study was to design a value stream map to improve the sonography service process in a military hospital.

The results showed that on average, the waiting time for sonography was 42.6 minutes and the main service cycle time was 30.6 minutes. On average, the total time for each sonography procedure was 73.3 minutes. The most frequently waste in the sonography process was related to “correction waste”, such as unclear sonography orders, incomplete registration of sonography orders, and mistakes in specifying the type and organ of sonography by the referring physician. Finally, the possibility of sending a prescription for appointment scheduling and receiving responses through social networks (such as WhatsApp, etc.), precise scheduling and appointment booking, and training clinic physicians for prescription and strengthening information technology infrastructure were introduced as some of the main solutions..

cause of time wastage, and most of the patient's attendance time is spent waiting. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce patients’ waiting time with management measures such as queue management and appointment scheduling systems as well as the use of new technologies.