Lean oncology: a new model for oncologists (Journal of Translational Medicine)

The history of the term Lean is relatively recent and originates from the Toyota ProductionSystem (TPS). The term `Lean` means `thin`, which refers to a mental process, operational,productive, no-frills, quick but not hasty, consequential to the previous event. The Leanprocess flows seamlessly into the result, eliminates unnecessary complications to the effect,prevents unnecessary equipment processes. The idea is to `do more with less`, like using the(few) available resources in the most productive way possible, through the elimination of alltypes of waste that inevitably accompanies every stage of a production process. Leanmanagement is primarily a management philosophy, a system of values and behaviors thatgoes beyond the mere application of the instrument and that, once internalized, will form thenucleus of the corporate culture. `Lean Oncology` is a term coined to identify a methodologyof care and treatment to cancer patients, consisting on process simplification, streamlining ofthe organizational and routes of drug treatment, detection and elimination of waste. Its mainobjective is the centrality of the patient.