Using Lean Six Sigma Methods to Develop an Efficient and Sustainable Interdisciplinary Team Program for Chronic Pain in a VA: PREVAIL Interdisciplinary Team Track.

Background: Chronic pain is highly prevalent in US military Veterans, and pain interdisciplinary teams (IDTs) are the gold standard in pain care. There is no standard or guidance for how best to develop and implement pain interdisciplinary teams within complex health care systems.

Objectives: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to evaluate the effectiveness of the standard 9-step Lean 6 Sigma (LSS) methodology in redesigning a pre-existing VA outpatient pain clinic solely offering interventional pain services into an efficient, sustainable pain IDT program.