Strengthening Traceability and Treatment Coverage Through DMAIC: A Lean Six Sigma Study on Hepatitis C in Mexico.
Gardini Bretón, Luis David (2025)
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025052716501
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025052716501
Tiivistelmä
This thesis investigates how digital traceability systems and Lean Six Sigma methodologies can improve the distribution and availability of Hepatitis C treatments within Mexico’s public healthcare system. With the World Health Organization’s goal to eliminate Hepatitis C as a public health threat by 2030, ensuring access to timely diagnosis, medication, and treatment adherence has become a national and global priority. The research focuses on improving operational performance within the AAMATES program, which plays a central role in coordinating Mexico’s public health response.
A mixed-methods approach was applied to address this challenge. First, a survey was conducted with supply chain and healthcare experts from multiple countries, including professionals with extensive experience working at important healthcare companies. Their insights provided valuable perspectives on the level of digital maturity, key performance indicators, and barriers to adopting new technologies. Second, a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt-level project was carried out using the DMAIC framework to map the current process, analyze inefficiencies, and propose solutions based on data from national health databases and secondary sources.
The results show that while traceability is widely considered critical for effective medication distribution, current systems in Mexican institutions still face technological and organizational limitations. Key challenges include a lack of system interoperability, insufficient infrastructure, limited training, and high implementation costs. Nonetheless, the data also show clear opportunities for improvement. The DMAIC analysis confirmed that process redesign, better monitoring tools, and cross-institutional collaboration could significantly reduce treatment abandonment rates and strengthen logistics performance. This thesis provides concrete proposals for enhancing medication distribution within public institutions. It contributes to the broader discussion on how emerging technologies and process improvement frameworks can support healthcare goals in developing nations.
A mixed-methods approach was applied to address this challenge. First, a survey was conducted with supply chain and healthcare experts from multiple countries, including professionals with extensive experience working at important healthcare companies. Their insights provided valuable perspectives on the level of digital maturity, key performance indicators, and barriers to adopting new technologies. Second, a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt-level project was carried out using the DMAIC framework to map the current process, analyze inefficiencies, and propose solutions based on data from national health databases and secondary sources.
The results show that while traceability is widely considered critical for effective medication distribution, current systems in Mexican institutions still face technological and organizational limitations. Key challenges include a lack of system interoperability, insufficient infrastructure, limited training, and high implementation costs. Nonetheless, the data also show clear opportunities for improvement. The DMAIC analysis confirmed that process redesign, better monitoring tools, and cross-institutional collaboration could significantly reduce treatment abandonment rates and strengthen logistics performance. This thesis provides concrete proposals for enhancing medication distribution within public institutions. It contributes to the broader discussion on how emerging technologies and process improvement frameworks can support healthcare goals in developing nations.