Review and classification of Lean project aims in hospitals

The Lean philosophy is increasingly being applied to the healthcare industry in order to improve the quality of care and reduce costs. This study presents a systematic literature review of 90 papers on Lean healthcare to evaluate its application in hospitals and to propose a classification and analysis of the papers reviewed. From the analysis performed this paper presents a discussion on where Lean initiatives are being focused in hospitals and what their objectives are, as well as how these objectives interact with and influence each other, in order to provide a better understanding of these factors.