Quality Assurance Tools
  Tools
 

QUALITY IMPROVEMENT TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES

An outline of some of the tools and techniques commonly used in conjunction with the Clinical Practice Improvement model for improvement is provided in this section.

Choosing the right tool

The following matrix shows how each quality improvement tool can be used in the various phases of the improvement process.

Quality Improvement Tool selection Matrix 1
Tool Phase of QI
Problem
Identification		 Data
Analysis		 Solution
Planning		 Result
Evaluation
Brainstorming X X X X
Cause-and-Effect Diagram (Fishbone) X X    
Check Sheet   X    
Flowchart X   X  
Affinity Diagram X   X  
Histogram   X   X
Multivoting X X X X
Nominal Group Technique X X X  
Selection Grid X   X  
Pareto Chart X X   X
Run Chart X X   X
Statistical Process Control (SPC) Chart X X   X

References :

1. Certificate in Essentials of Healthcare Quality
  Jointly offered by Asia Pacific Society for Healthcare Quality &
Poon Kam Kai Institute of Management HKU, 2002
   
2. Easy Guide to Clinical Practice Improvement
 
    NSW Health
3. Using quality improvement tools in a healthcare setting
 
  Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations 1992
 
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Last Updated: 11 February 2003