Agile methodologies in healthcare are tools that support management in day-to-day decision-making. In practice, they provide a step-by-step approach that can be tailored to the institution’s needs, enabling their application in processes that require stronger task control.
Inspired by the technology ecosystem, these resources promote faster deliveries, greater collaboration among teams, and continuous adaptations—making internal processes more precise and more focused on the real needs of patients and professionals.
In this article, learn the benefits of applying agile methodologies in healthcare management and explore the main approaches.
What are agile methodologies?
Agile methodologies are a set of practices and principles aimed at managing projects in a more flexible, collaborative, and interactive way.
Unlike traditional models that follow a rigid sequence of stages, agile methodologies prioritize frequent deliveries, continuous feedback, and ongoing adaptation.
Originally created in the software development sector, these tools have expanded into multiple fields—including healthcare—due to their benefits. In the next section, see the main ones.
What are the benefits of applying agile methodologies in healthcare?
Agile methodologies in healthcare management are powerful allies. In a sector shaped by urgency, critical data, and multidisciplinary teams, making processes faster is a constant necessity.
Applying agile methods enables stronger control, collaboration, and continuous value delivery. Below are the key benefits of using them:
Greater agility in strategic and operational decision-making
Agile methodologies remove bureaucratic steps and promote shorter planning cycles, allowing leaders to make decisions with greater confidence, based on up-to-date data and feedback.
In high-pressure environments—such as ICUs and diagnostic centers—response speed can save lives, and transparency in flows improves the collective understanding of priorities.
Process optimization and reduced rework
Institutions can map activities more effectively and identify bottlenecks, making it easier to eliminate unnecessary steps and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
As a result, rework caused by planning failures decreases. Operations become more agile and focused on speed and execution.
Better alignment among clinical, administrative, and IT teams
One pillar of agile methodologies is constant communication among everyone involved in projects.
This practice helps different departments—such as nursing, management, and technology—work collaboratively.
Short, frequent meetings (such as daily stand-ups) ensure everyone stays aligned on objectives and challenges, reducing noise, increasing commitment, and strengthening a sense of belonging.
Integration also supports innovation that positively impacts patient care.
Monitoring indicators and performance goals
Agile methodologies emphasize data to support decisions and course corrections. Tools such as PDCA and 5W2H support real-time tracking of objectives, providing a clear view of where impact is being generated and where intervention is needed.
Ongoing review of indicators prevents operational deviations and improves outcomes. As a result, goals become more tangible and achievable.
Focus on value delivery
The concept of value is at the core of agile methodologies: delivering what truly matters. In healthcare, this means prioritizing actions that improve the patient journey and institutional sustainability.
Ideally, teams work with short, measurable deliveries, responding quickly to internal and external changes. The result is a more strategic form of management—focused on what truly transforms the care experience.
Main agile methodologies to apply in healthcare
Agile methodologies promote a more collaborative, adaptable, and results-oriented management style.
When combined with technology, they optimize hospital and laboratory routines. The main approaches include:
Scrum: agility in project execution and continuous improvement
Scrum organizes work into short cycles, called sprints, enabling fast deliveries and frequent improvements.
Professionals hold brief meetings to track progress and adjust goals as needed.
Scrum is ideal for implementing new systems, redesigning processes, or testing care models. It encourages communication across areas and supports adaptability. Its adoption increases predictability of outcomes.
Kanban: visual control to optimize healthcare workflows
Using visual boards, Kanban makes the progress of each task visible, making it easier to identify bottlenecks and supporting faster responses to delays or overload—promoting better flow in processes.
In healthcare settings, it can be used in pharmacies, laboratories, reception, and other administrative areas. It strengthens organization, focus, and teamwork.
In addition, it is easy to implement and can deliver consistent results. It can start with simple boards labeled “to do,” “in progress,” and “done,” classifying demands by status.
This tool can be applied manually, with physical boards, or through tools such as Trello. In general, these resources allow columns to be customized according to routine and the specific needs of each department—improving adherence to workflows.
PDCA cycle: problem-solving and results monitoring
PDCA is a cyclical methodology based on the stages Plan, Do, Check, and Act. It is useful for solving structural problems, reviewing protocols, and evaluating the effectiveness of implemented actions. Its strength lies in ongoing monitoring of goals and indicators.
It can be applied at different levels of the institution and ensures continuous improvement based on real data.
5W2H: action planning in institutional routines
This tool helps organize and plan actions by answering seven essential questions: what, why, where, when, who, how, and how much it costs. It is widely used to create objective, clear action plans with well-defined responsibilities.
In healthcare, it supports audits, training initiatives, and operational changes. It improves communication among stakeholders and strengthens decision traceability.
Lean Healthcare: reducing waste in care processes
Lean Healthcare adapts Lean Manufacturing principles to the hospital context. Its focus is eliminating waste, such as waiting times, unnecessary movement, excess inventory, and non-value-added activities.
By doing so, it increases value delivered to the patient without increasing operating costs. It helps reorganize workflows based on real data, encourages participation, and builds a culture of continuous improvement.
Examples of applying agile methodologies in healthcare
Agile methodologies can be applied across multiple clinical, administrative, and operational contexts. From the development of healthcare systems to improving internal flows, they generate real results.
Below are practical examples of how these tools have transformed healthcare institutions:
Implementing hospital management systems with Scrum
Professionals from areas such as information technology, clinical teams, and hospital management can use Scrum to accelerate the implementation of a healthcare system.
With shorter work cycles, teams can organize to deploy a system in an institution in a planned way and with calculated risks. Ultimately, regardless of the tool, any change creates impacts on the routine—however, these should not be perceived by patients.
Both tests and feature adjustments are carried out by system users—reducing technical errors, increasing team adoption, and enabling a personalized experience.
Scrum improves communication among IT, operations, and clinical management, ensuring visible progress in less time. What used to take months can now evolve week by week.
Organizing queues and patient service in clinics with Kanban
Kanban is a visual tool that organizes the flow of activities in real time and can also be applied to patient service—from triage to completion of procedures.
In healthcare, the Kanban board enables a clear list of tasks and distribution into columns based on progress status:
- To do: patients waiting for triage, consultations, or exams;
- In progress: appointments, exams being performed, medication being administered;
- Done: discharge, referral, or completion of procedures.
This tool can be applied manually, with physical boards, or through tools such as Trello. In general, these approaches enable columns to be tailored to routine and to the specific needs of each department—ensuring better adherence to workflows.
Improving laboratory processes with PDCA
Clinical laboratories apply PDCA to review routines such as correct exam registration and analytical quality control. The cycle starts with mapping problems, followed by testing solutions, verifying results, and implementing adjustments.
As a result, rework decreases and result reliability increases. The practice also strengthens compliance with technical standards and accreditation requirements, embedding continuous improvement into organizational culture.
Creating action plans for internal audits with 5W2H
With 5W2H, managers can organize audits clearly and objectively. The tool defines what will be done, by whom, where, when, how, and with what resources—helping meet deadlines and align with regulatory requirements.
It also helps involve those responsible from the start. As a result, audits become more precise and less burdensome.
Reducing waste in hospital pharmacy with Lean Healthcare
With Lean Healthcare, it is possible to map the medication flow and identify steps that do not add value—such as unnecessary movement, excess stock, and lack of standardization in requisitions.
With these improvements, losses due to expiration decrease and stronger logistics control is achieved. The pharmacy becomes more integrated into patient care. The result is higher agility, lower costs, and better safety in medication management.
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About Pixeon
Pixeon is the company with the largest software portfolio for the healthcare market.
Our solutions serve hospitals, clinics, laboratories, and diagnostic imaging centers, covering both management (HIS, CIS, RIS, and LIS) and diagnostic processes (PACS and Laboratory Interface), ensuring high performance and top-tier management in healthcare institutions.
The HIS/CIS software for hospitals and clinics, Pixeon Smart, is a complete solution that integrates the entire institution into a single system. It is also certified with the highest level of digital maturity by SBIS (Brazilian Society of Health Informatics).
We already have over 3,000 clients in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Colombia, serving millions of patients annually through our platforms.
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