How to Benefit from Focus in Health Services?

The concept of focused factory has been successfully applied in manufacturing for decades. In healthcare, the concept of focused healthcare unit (FHU) has been proposed as an alternative to the traditional discipline-driven organizations. Unlike manufacturing, focusing has led to conflicting results in healthcare. In this paper we present a model to characterize the focus concept and its utilization in healthcare services. The model is connected to existing theories about service categorizations and focus concepts. Focus is defined as an attempt to reduce variety and variation through controlling input, supply, and path options and it can be applied in five distinct steps. The model is tested by multi-case data from surgical operating units that apply different focus strategies. Units reducing supply variety did not show better performance as such units tended to have higher personnel intensity. Units reducing arrival variety and applying operative level focus practices demonstrated higher productivity. The study revealed that the focus concept can be divided into five types. The results support the division of service production to separate acute and non-acute operations and the implementation of measurement and incentive systems to increase output at employee level. IT solutions have remarkable impact in supporting the shift toward optimal management practices.