Systematic Problem Solving for Sustained Improvements with Quality Tools — Healthcare Applications

OUTLINE (Return to Main)

Plan
- Describe problem
  - Describe nature of problem
  - Assure it’s related to key business goals/objectives
  - Secure approval, if needed
  - Define process boundaries
  - Form a team and define roles, authority, resources, responsibilities
  - Identify customers and other key stakeholders and requirements/targets
- Quantify performance gap and set measurable goals
  - Brainstorming
  - Multi-voting consensus
  - IPO model
  - Flowcharts
  - Use of data check sheets, corrective action forms, process/audit/customer information
  - Bar charts, run charts, Pareto charts
  - Gap analysis
Organize
- Determine key causes
  - Identify prioritize possible causes
  - Collect and analyze data
  - Determine most probable causes
  - Review most probable causes
  - Generate potential solutions
  - Establish a rating selection criteria
- Select best alternative solution
  - Cause & effect
  - Tree diagram
  - Brainstorming and multi-voting consensus
  - Affinity diagram
  - Scatter diagram
  - Selection matrix
  - Force field analysis
  - Interviews/surveys
Implement
- Implement Solution
  - Develop an implementation project plan including needed resources
  - Select measurement criteria/data collection plan
  - Execute the plan and collect data
  - Determine if solution is effective by comparing data with the goals to verify that the performance gap is closed
  - If no – repeat steps
  - Maintain the gains and standardize
  - Audit to assure the gain is maintained
  - Celebrate success
  - Capture and share lessons learned and evaluate impact
  - Flowcharts
  - Gantt charts
  - Check sheets
Monitor
- Evaluation Solution
  - Cause & effect
  - Monitoring data
  - Run charts, Pareto analysis,
  - Check sheets
  - Customer feedback data
  - Impact evaluation form
  - Team satisfaction/lesson learned forms

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