After writing my recent blog, “Physician Heal Thyself,” I attended a review session for the ASQ certification exam. The subject of physicians came up when we were discussing identification of customers in healthcare. One of the attendees reminded the group that physicians tend to be diagnosticians, looking for a way to fit the patient’s symptoms into a disease classification so a treatment course can be determined.

This made me think: Would physicians relate to Six Sigma concepts better if we called it AEDTO instead of DMAIC?

Assess = Define the problem, or gather patient / process symptoms

Evaluate = Measure the extent/ impact of the problem

Diagnose = Analyze the results of the tests / eval, see which are significant or not

Treat = Improve the patient / process

On-going follow-up = Control to see whether the patient / process stays in the improved condition

Hmmm… something I will run by my physician Yellow Belt and Green Belt colleagues!