Core Curriculum for Fellows
Quality Improvement/Patient Safety
Career Development Pathway
Academic and Research Skills
Munish Gupta, MD MMSc
Neonatologist
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Heather Kaplan, MD, MSCE
Associate Professor
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Alan Picarillo, MD
Neonatologist
Neonatology
The Barbara Bush Children's Hospital
Tufts University School of Medicine
Portland, Maine, United States
Michael Posencheg, MD
Chief Medical Officer
Neonatology
Penn Presbyterian Medical Center
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Quality improvement (QI) relies on data and measurement. Statistical process control (SPC), pioneered in manufacturing, combines mathematical time-based data analysis with graphical data displays, and is widely recognized as an optimal method of data analysis for QI. While the value of SPC in health care has been increasingly recognized, its methods are not routinely taught and clinical leaders continue to commonly conduct QI projects without the benefit of SPC.
In this workshop, we will provide a practical introduction to two primary SPC tools, run charts and control charts. Part 1 will be an interactive presentation reviewing SPC theory and tools, and benefits of SPC for QI as compared to other types of analyses. QI examples from the literature will be used to illustrate key points. Part 2 will be a hands-on session guiding attendees through the creation and analysis of run charts and control charts. We will use sample QI project data to demonstrate chart creation using widely available software; data sets and software will be made available to attendees in advance to enable them to create the same charts as they follow along. Multiple examples will be shown during the workshop, and data sets and instructions for additional exercises will be made available for independent work. Part 3 will cover more advanced control chart concepts, and will include an open discussion of questions that arise. Specific issues related to QI projects being done by participants can also be discussed. A bibliography, key readings, and exercises will be provided.
Attendees are strongly encouraged to download software and sample data sets to their own computers in advance. Participants who are not able to do this will still be able to follow along and participate extensively in the workshop.