The first article in this series, "What the Doctor Didn’t Order But Should Have," established a case for business improvement in the outpatient health care sector. More important, it provided real-life examples of how a Six Sigma framework can help outpatient facilities overcome fundamental challenges common to the industry.

In this month’s column we’ll explore one of the biggest opportunities for Six Sigma: its relationship with technology.

Health care’s appetite for technology is enormous. Although most technological advances in the industry focus on new procedural or equipment breakthroughs, recent legislation has spurred technological development at the administrative level as well. Current deadlines established by the government through mandatory Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act regulations, combined with increasing competition in the outpatient sector, have intensified the drive to bring technology to all aspects of health care. The opportunities for improving and automating processes at facilities and clinics are limitless.

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