Table 3.

An overview of the Lean intervention parts implemented at the three units

Lean intervention	Ward-I	Ward-II	ED
Education/Training	2 days training for the whole staff by external consultant	2 days training for the whole staff by external consultant	Only Lean coaches were trained by the hospital’s Quality Development Group
5S	Executed with keen employee involvement	Executed with the support of Lean coaches	Executed with the support of Lean coaches
Value Stream Map	Executed by Lean coaches including employee discussions	Executed by Lean coaches	Executed by the flow group
Continuous Improvement & Visual Management	Executed through employee discussions and sustained	Started by Lean coaches but couldn’t be sustained	Planned by the flow group but couldn’t be implemented
Work Redesign	A joint working station for physicians and nurses, nurse aides equipped with trolleys having laptops, colored magnets for patient status, patients seen one by one.	One working station for physicians and nurses, nurse aides equipped with trolleys having laptops, colored magnets for patient status, patients seen one by one.	One working station for physicians and nurses, one part-time junior physician now full-time, ECG machine stationed in preliminary care room, heart coordinator to admit patients from ED to wards
Teamwork	2 care teams; in each team, physicians and nurses started working in pairs	3 care teams; in each team, physicians and nurses started working in pairs	Team for preliminary care consisting of a nurse and a junior physician led by a specialist