Lean adoption in hospitals: the role of contextual factors and introduction strategy

BACKGROUND: In the scientific literature, many studies describe the application of lean methodology in the hospital setting. Most of the articles focus on the results rather than on the approach adopted to introduce the lean methodology. In the absence of a clear view of the context and the introduction strategy, the first steps of the implementation process can take on an empirical, trial and error profile. Such implementation is time-consuming and resource-intensive and affects the adoption of the model at the organizational level. This research aims to outline the role contextual factors and introduction strategy play in supporting the operators introducing lean methodology in a hospital setting. METHODOLOGY: The methodology is revealed in a case study of an important hospital in Southern Italy, where lean has been successfully introduced through a pilot project in the pathway of cancer patients. The originality of the research is seen in the detailed description of the contextual elements and the introduction strategy. RESULTS: The results show significant process improvements and highlight the spontaneous dissemination of the culture of change in the organization and the streamlined adoption at the micro level. CONCLUSION: The case study shows the importance of the lean introduction strategy and contextual factors for successful lean implementation. Furthermore, it shows how both factors influence each other, underlining the dynamism of the organizational system. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-021-06885-4.