RESUMO
With the emergence of so many methodologies for generating comparison data and with the growing accountability demands from so many sectors (each, seemingly, with its own preferred comparative methodology), nurses and quality improvement professionals may feel as if they have many masters to serve. This article outlines the Maryland Hospital Association's Quality Indicator Project's approach to working with quality improvement professionals to build their understanding of comparative data and help them determine which data analysis tools best fit their reporting needs.
Assuntos
Serviço Hospitalar de Enfermagem/organização & administração , Serviço Hospitalar de Enfermagem/normas , Garantia da Qualidade dos Cuidados de Saúde/organização & administração , Coleta de Dados/métodos , Coleta de Dados/normas , Humanos , Maryland , Pesquisa em Administração de Enfermagem , Recursos Humanos de Enfermagem Hospitalar/organização & administração , Recursos Humanos de Enfermagem Hospitalar/normasRESUMO
The health care industry is slowly embracing the use of statistical process control (SPC) to monitor and study causes of variation in health care processes. While the statistics and principles underlying the use of SPC are relatively straightforward, there is a need to be cognizant of the perils that await the user who is not well versed in the key concepts of SPC. This article introduces the theory behind SPC methodology, describes successful tactics for educating users, and discusses the challenges associated with encouraging adoption of SPC among health care professionals. To illustrate these benefits and challenges, this article references the National Hospital Quality Measures, presents critical elements of SPC curricula, and draws examples from hospitals that have successfully embedded SPC into their overall approach to performance assessment and improvement.