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Statistical Process Control as a Tool for Research and Healthcare Improvement

Item

Title
Statistical Process Control as a Tool for Research and Healthcare Improvement
Abstract/Description
Improvement of health care requires making changes in processes of care and service delivery. Although process performance is measured to determine if these changes are having the desired beneficial effects, this analysis is complicated by the existence of natural variation—that is, repeated measurements naturally yield different values and, even if nothing was done, a subsequent measurement might seem to indicate a better or worse performance. Traditional statistical analysis methods account for natural variation but require aggregation of measurements over time, which can delay decision making. Statistical process control (SPC) is a branch of statistics that combines rigorous time series analysis methods with graphical presentation of data, often yielding insights into the data more quickly and in a way more understandable to lay decision makers. SPC and its primary tool—the control chart—provide researchers and practitioners with a method of better understanding and communicating data from healthcare improvement efforts. This paper provides an overview of SPC and several practical examples of the healthcare applications of control charts.
Author/creator
Benneyan, J. C.
Lloyd, R. C.
Plsek, P. E.
Date
2003
In publication
BMJ Quality & Safety
Volume
12
Issue
6
Pages
458-464
Resource type
en Research/Scholarly Media
Resource status/form
en Published Text
Scholarship genre
en Methodological
Keywords
quality improvement research
statistical process control
Language
en
Open access/full-text available
en Yes
Peer reviewed
en Yes
ISSN
2044-5415, 2044-5423
DOI
10.1136/qhc.12.6.458
URL
Official Publisher's Webpage (BMJ)
Full-text PDF Shared by Author (ResearchGate)
Citation
Benneyan, J. C., Lloyd, R. C., & Plsek, P. E. (2003). Statistical Process Control as a Tool for Research and Healthcare Improvement. BMJ Quality & Safety, 12(6), 458–464. https://doi.org/10.1136/qhc.12.6.458
Cited in
Measurement for Improvement in Education
Rights
Copyright 2003 Quality and Safety in Health Care
Item sets
OB Citations - Measurement for Improvement in Education

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