Acuity systems and control charting

Qual Manag Health Care. 1995 Spring;3(3):22-30. doi: 10.1097/00019514-199503030-00003.

Abstract

The strengths of control charting and other statistical process control (SPC) tools have not previously been applied to acuity systems. Intermountain Health Care, Salt Lake City, Utah, developed a new acuity system that relies heavily upon control charting for an array of purposes, including immediate feedback to caregivers regarding decisions, ongoing feedback to managers regarding decision patterns, and longer-term feedback regarding trends and budget-relevant information. The use of control charts has eliminated the need for auditing acuity-based staffing and has maintained the reliability of classifications at levels above 95 percent. Implications for other novel applications are offered.

MeSH terms

  • Data Interpretation, Statistical
  • Documentation
  • Feedback
  • Health Resources / classification
  • Health Resources / statistics & numerical data*
  • Health Resources / supply & distribution
  • Humans
  • Medical Staff
  • Models, Statistical*
  • Multi-Institutional Systems / standards*
  • Multi-Institutional Systems / statistics & numerical data
  • Patients / classification*
  • Patients / statistics & numerical data
  • Personnel Staffing and Scheduling
  • Process Assessment, Health Care / standards*
  • Total Quality Management
  • Utah