Overview
This book teaches and illustrates the use of SPC (Statistical Process Control) techniques for healthcare professionals. SPC techniques allow these professionals to properly extract information from healthcare data, make intelligent decisions based on statistical data, and know if the data has been presented in an appropriate manner. Using a case study approach, the authors present the theory, computations (hand and computer), and application (case study) for each concept. In recent years, SPC has been proven effective in improving the quality of health care, just as it has in other service industries and in manufacturing.
Synopsis
This text is designed to teach health system managers an approach for effectively incorporating quantitative performance measurement into daily work routines as the foundation for an improvement-oriented health care organization. The text focuses on three main objectives: understanding the theory of statistical process control, learning how to analyze data using a computer, and learning how to apply the techniques to real data. Includes case studies using real data sets, but modified for confidentiality purposes. The authors (both with the U. of Wisconsin, Oshkosh) have extensive experience presenting this material in training seminars for physicians, nurses, and quality managers around the U.S.
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