Abstract:
Healthcare is one of the industries that requires
the highest quality services for the wellbeing of the society.
Today, the demand for healthcare growing rapidly with
increasing aging population, rapid urbanization, changing
diets, inactive lifestyles and rising obesity levels. The Industry
4.0 technologies and lean techniques can be used to enhance the
operational performance of the healthcare supply chain and
the patient flow. This paper examines the factors contributing
for the inefficiencies in Sri Lankan Healthcare sector and how
the operational performance can be optimized through premedical
diagnosis of diseases by incorporating Industry 4.0
technologies and lean techniques. Based on a systematic review
of literature and feedback of healthcare professionals, the
paper identifies the inefficiencies in the current healthcare
system. A conceptual framework has been developed by
considering the direct impacts from lean management
practices and Industry 4.0 technologies on improving
operational performance through pre-medical diagnosis of
diseases.
Thus, patients can take preventive actions and be more
health conscious while the healthcare providers and other
related parties can plan their medical services and supporting
services for arising health requirements making the healthcare
industry much more efficient.
