Indonesian Journal of Health Science
Vol 6 No 3 (2026)

Evaluation of lean six sigma implementation in reducing patient waiting time in hospitals: A literature review

Assyifa Ramadhani (Universitas Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Jakarta)
Nadia Putri Untiami (Universitas Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Jakarta)
Reynanda Sabrina (Universitas Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Jakarta)
Acim Heri Iswanto (Universitas Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Jakarta)



Article Info

Publish Date
11 Jun 2026

Abstract

The surge in National Health Insurance (JKN) participants to 267.3 million by the end of 2023 has significantly increased hospital operational workloads, leading to prolonged patient waiting times. Excessive waiting time reflects low process efficiency driven by non-value-added activities (waste). This issue severely diminishes patient satisfaction and contributes to global healthcare financial inefficiencies estimated at 20–40%. This study aims to synthesize empirical evidence regarding the effectiveness of DMAIC-based Lean Six Sigma (LSS) in reducing patient waiting times in hospitals, identify implementation challenges, and formulate strategic management recommendations. A systematic literature review was conducted by analyzing nine original research articles sourced from Google Scholar, PubMed, and PMC databases. Data were extracted based on methodology (DMAIC, VSM, pre-post trial), key findings, and field challenges, followed by a narrative synthesis. The synthesis demonstrates that LSS consistently and significantly reduces patient waiting times without requiring substantial capital investment. Primary barriers include Hospital Management Information System (SIMRS) instability, unergonomic facility layouts, manual prescribing practices, and slow adaptation to statistical competencies among staff. Effective improvement strategies focus on waste elimination, Lean tools application (5S, Kanban), and digitalizing administrative workflows. The implementation of DMAIC-based LSS proves to be an effective, measurable, and sustainable approach to reducing patient waiting times. Hospital management is highly recommended to integrate LSS as an internal quality regulation, enhance integrated IT infrastructure, and conduct periodic training on DMAIC methodologies for healthcare personnel.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

ijhs

Publisher

Subject

Dentistry Health Professions Medicine & Pharmacology Nursing Public Health Veterinary

Description

Indonesian Journal of Health Science is a place for disseminating research results in the field of health, including, but not limited to topics of public health, environmental health, occupational health, pharmacy, nutrition, epidemiology, medical laboratories, physiotherapy, or other general ...