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. 2013 Oct;22(10):826-35.
doi: 10.1136/bmjqs-2012-001683. Epub 2013 Jun 8.

Hospital workers' perceptions of waste: a qualitative study involving photo-elicitation

Sarah L Goff  1 , Reva Kleppel, Peter K Lindenauer, Michael B Rothberg
Affiliations

Hospital workers' perceptions of waste: a qualitative study involving photo-elicitation

Sarah L Goff et al. BMJ Qual Saf. 2013 Oct.

Abstract

Objectives: To elicit sources of waste as viewed by hospital workers.

Design: Qualitative study using photo-elicitation, an ethnographic technique for prompting in-depth discussion.

Setting: U.S. academic tertiary care hospital.

Participants: Physicians, nurses, pharmacists, administrative support personnel, administrators and respiratory therapists.

Methods: A purposive sample of personnel at an academic tertiary care hospital was invited to take up to 10 photos of waste. Participants discussed their selections using photos as prompts during in-depth interviews. Transcripts were analysed in an iterative process using grounded theory; open and axial coding was performed, followed by selective and thematic coding to develop major themes and subthemes.

Results: Twenty-one participants (nine women, average number of years in field=19.3) took 159 photos. Major themes included types of waste and recommendations to reduce waste. Types of waste comprised four major categories: Time, Materials, Energy and Talent. Participants emphasised time wastage (50% of photos) over other types of waste such as excess utilisation (2.5%). Energy and Talent were novel categories of waste. Recommendations to reduce waste included interventions at the micro-level (eg, individual/ward), meso-level (eg, institution) and macro-level (eg, payor/public policy).

Conclusions: The waste hospital workers identified differed from previously described waste both in the types of waste described and the emphasis placed on wasted time. The findings of this study represent a possible need for education of hospital workers about known types of waste, an opportunity to assess the impact of novel types of waste described and an opportunity to intervene to reduce the waste identified.

Keywords: Complexity; Health services research; Qualitative research; Six Sigma.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Time as a wasted resource
Figure 2
Figure 2
Excessive use of radiological imaging
Figure 3
Figure 3
Single use vials waste medication.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Turning off light switches may reduce wasted energy.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Adjusting thermostats may reduce wasted energy.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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