Healthcare Quality Assurance - Essay Example

The paper 'Healthcare Quality Assurance' is a worthy example of preclinical research.
Pareto Analysis is a technique used to arrange items in terms of their significance. It uses a rule popularly known as 80-20. This rule is in light of the fact that approximately 80% of the effects result due to about 20% of trigger factors.  Pareto Analysis is used to assess risks at all levels-activity to system levels. The technique produces a wide spectrum of quantitative outcomes that are then graphed on simple and easy-to-understand bar charts. Many types of information can be analyzed; however, each entails some kind of data tracking (such as monitoring how many accidents results due to clinical experiments) (Pareto Analysis, 2014). What is more, the technique can be applied to any operating system or activity.

Common applications of Pareto Analysis include ranking system accidents or activity, evaluating risk improvement and modifying systems. The technique finds applications in various situations but is most significant in the health field where errors and mistakes could lead to serious repercussions such as deaths. When using Pareto Analysis, one should classify and record all problems and their triggers (Pareto Analysis, 2014). He or she should then grade each problem and the causes in order of priority, beginning with the more serious ones to the less serious ones. The summation of each group then follows. Finally, one then finds the best solutions for triggers factors for problems in groups where the score is highest. Overall, Pareto Analysis shows one where a problem originates; the group with the highest score and the possible solutions to the problems. In brief, it makes problem-solving much easier. 

Cause-and-Effect Diagram

Unlike Pareto Analysis, cause-and-effect charts offer a visual way of depicting all possible and suspected triggers and effects of a singular problem. Its applications include identifying causes of process variations, investigating a harmful effect and determining causes so that they can be rectified, prevents causes by assessing how future problems can be avoided, investigating a positive consequence and determining the trigger factors behind its occurrence. In using a cause-and-effect diagram:

• Assemble an appropriate cluster of people who have prior knowledge of the topic to be assessed.
• Clearly describes the consequences for which the trigger factors are required.
• Draw the consequence at the finish of the big arrow. Leave enough space to include the general trigger factors
• Identify the major groups of likely causes and consequences. Draw branches emanating from the bid arrow and include groups to the branches.
• Brainstorm every possible trigger factors and insert them into the suitable parts of the diagram. Make descriptions brief. Revise the chart group by group. Causes belonging to many categories should be inserted under appropriate groups.
• Analyze the recognized causes and decide which ones require additional analysis. Keep in mind the main goal to resolve the problems rather than eliminating the symptom.

Perhaps what makes the tool easier to use is the fact that it is less complicated and convenient. Some of the advantages of cause-and-effect charts include the fact that they expose limitations of the current knowledge, they are more visual hence easy to interpret, and they identify many causes of a specific problem. A major limitation though is that it results require an effective leader and involvement of process makers who completely understand a problem under deliberation