A Practical Guide to the Kaizen Approach as a Quality Improvement Tool

Kaizen is a method of producing continuous improvement founded on the premise that tiny, continual positive adjustments may yield substantial results. Often it is established on collaboration and commitment rather than techniques that employ drastic or top-down reforms to achieve transformation. With an emphasis on making incremental, regular improvements to current processes, the improvements are developed by all employees at all levels, not just by managers and executives. The project involved reducing hospital-acquired pressure injury (HAPI) and with the Kaizen approach, the HAPI rate showed improvement within 6 months

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  The Kaizen approach consists of the following five founding elements: teamwork, personal discipline, improved morale, quality circles, and suggestions for improvement.
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  Using a small Kaizen approach allows the staff an opportunity to promote ideas for small quality projects that can be completed within a short time. These successes encourage the staff as they see their ideas applied.
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  Kaizen focuses on making modest, daily adjustments to increase results over time. The PDSA cycle provides a framework and organization for discovering and objectively evaluating improvement possibilities.