Value Management

IHI has developed a point-of-care management approach to sustain high-quality, system-level improvements that we refer to as value management. This approach features an emphasis on a regular rhythm of performance-focused daily huddles, visual management boards, escalation protocols, and development and monitoring of execution of standard work. It also has an explicit focus on operating costs, embedding a weekly measurement system of a unit (e.g., an ICU) and variable costs into the visual management system, allowing staff to continuously improve and stabilize cost, while improving quality and the patient experience.

This approach is relevant for any health system interested in high reliability and value improvement, whether they are primarily focused on cost reduction, safety improvement and reliability, and/or elevating patient and staff experience to higher levels of performance.

Hospital Flow

Failing to achieve hospital-wide patient flow — the right care, in the right place, at the right time — puts patients at risk for suboptimal care and potential harm. It also increases the burden on clinicians and hospital staff and can accelerate burnout. Yet, while many understand the problem, they often lack the comprehensive strategies to address it.

IHI’s model for achieving hospital-wide patient flow is a culmination of two decades of IHI’s research, innovation, and learning about hospital-wide patient flow. The model guides leaders and quality improvement teams through an in-depth examination of a systems view of patient flow, theories for improvement, and high-leverage strategies and interventions to achieve hospital-wide patient flow.

Waste Reduction

Eliminating “waste” in health care — defined as resources expended in money, time, and/or personnel that do not add value for the patient, family, or community — is essential to providing care at an affordable cost. In some cases, this non-value-added waste can even harm patients, adding further cost. The IHI Leadership Alliance is actively working to “Systematically and proactively identify and eliminate 50 percent of non-value-added waste in the US health care system by 2025." This group has conducted an in-depth analysis of significant and complex opportunities to reduce waste and cost, summarized in the Trillion Dollar Checkbook: Reduce Waste and Cost in the US Health Care System.

Learn More

To learn more about how your organization can engage with IHI in any of these content areas, please email our team.

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