PurposeThis paper aims to evaluate the measurement properties of the Employee Perception to Assess the Lean Implementation Tool (EPLIT) in the Brazilian hospital context.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional study was conducted in two Brazilian hospitals, adhering to COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) guidelines. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and Cronbach's alpha were used for construct validity and reliability.FindingsThe adapted tool comprises 27 items across five domains, explaining 63.3% of the variance. Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.78 to 0.86, indicating satisfactory reliability.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations include convenience sampling and exclusive use of EFA for validation. Future studies may employ Confirmatory Factor Analysis for further validation.Practical implicationsThe tool aids healthcare managers in Brazil to systematically evaluate Lean implementation, contributing to process optimization and quality improvement.Social implicationsEffective Lean implementation using the validated tool could lead to improved healthcare delivery and patient outcomes.Originality/valueThis is the first study to adapt and validate EPLIT for the Brazilian healthcare sector, offering a robust tool for managers and researchers.