On the applications of statistical process control in health care.
BACKGROUND
Statistical Process Control (SPC), a sub-area of Statistical Quality Control (SQC) has been widely used in the manufacturing industry for a long time to monitor and improve processes. However, the use of SPC in other application areas in particular healthcare has been met with resistance due to lack of evidence or lack of conviction regarding their power of utility.


METHODS
Literature and computer programmes (Medline and PsychoInfo databases) were searched for relevant information.


CONCLUSIONS
This paper provides an overview of SPC, and its primary tool- the control chart, the challenges and the benefits of the application of SPC as tool for health care improvement.
Adeoti
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OA
Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Bowen University, Iwo. oaadeoti@hotmail.com
D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D005568:Forms and Records Control; D006801:Humans; D017064:Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D013223:Statistics as Topic