Lean Six Sigma Methods Reduce Blood Culture Contamination in an Inpatient Severe Sepsis Protocol

A quality improvement project using Lean Six Sigma DMAIC method in a 500-bed tertiary medical center reduced phlebotomy contamination rates from a baseline of 3.1 percent to 0.9 percent. This sustained improvement resulted in the elimination of 82 contaminations yielding annualized cost-avoidance savings of $1,330,368.

This case study is part of the Illinois Hospital Association's annual quality awards. Each year, IHA recognizes and celebrates the achievements of Illinois hospitals in continually improving and transforming health care in the state. These hospitals are improving health by striving to achieve the Triple Aim--improving the patient experience of care (including quality and satisfaction); improving the health of populations; and reducing the per capita cost of health care.

Award recipients achieve measurable and meaningful progress in providing care that is:

• Safe
• Timely
• Effective
• Efficient
• Equitable
• Patient-centered

(The Institute of Medicine's six aims for improvement.)