Monitoring change in health care through statistical process control methods

"The family of approaches known as statistical process control (SPC) have been widely used for monitoring outcomes in industry and have gained acceptance in many health care settings: usually within an organisation or clinical pathway. However, they are less commonly applied to look at population level changes across organisations: the changes we now see emerging in new models of care. Moreover, SPC methods can be applied to looking at some of the measures (such as changes in emergency admissions) that are commonly used to monitor major programmes of organisational change as seen in, for example, new models of integrated care or the Vanguards."

Monitoring change in health care through statistical process control methods
C Sherlaw-Johnson, M Bardsley
Nuffield Trust
January 2016

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Using system change to reduce unplanned admissions in people aged 85 years and over

"Rising admission rates for older people were seen in places where several parts of the system were under strain. Places which had stemmed the rising tide of admissions had done so through strong, stable leadership, a shared vision and strategy, and common values across the system."

Establishing and implementing best practice to reduce unplanned admissions in those aged 85 years and over through system change [Establishing System Change for Admissions of People 85+ (ESCAPE 85+)]: a mixed-methods case study approach
A Wilson, et al.
Health Services and Delivery Research, 2015, 3(37)

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Do higher primary care practice performance scores predict lower rates of emergency admissions?

"Good-quality primary care management of patients with a SMI should reduce complications of a serious mental illness and comorbidities and should, therefore, be associated with lower unplanned admission rates."

Do higher primary care practice performance scores predict lower rates of emergency admissions for persons with serious mental illness? An analysis of secondary panel data
R Jacobs, et al.
Health Services and Delivery Research, 2015, 3(16)

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Variations and inter-relationship in outcome from emergency admissions in England

"Hospital-level risk-standardised outcomes for emergency admissions across a range of specialties vary considerably and cross traditional speciality boundaries. This suggests that global institutional infra-structure and processes of care influence outcomes. "

Variations and inter-relationship in outcome from emergency admissions in England: a retrospective analysis of Hospital Episode Statistics from 2005-2010
PJ Holt, S Sinha, BA Ozdemir, A Karthikesalingam, JD Poloniecki, MM Thompson
BMC Health Services Research, 2014, 14:270

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Emergency admissions to hospital: managing the demand

"Once patients are admitted, hospitals, working with community and social care services, can ensure that patients stay no longer than necessary and are discharged promptly."

Emergency admissions to hospital: managing the demand
Department of Health
National Audit Office
October 2013

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Focus on preventable admissions

"This study examined the pattern of admissions across England for people with ambulatory care sensitive conditions over the 12-year period from 2001 to 2013 as an indicator of how well primary and preventive care were working to reduce emergency admissions."

Focus on preventable admissions
I Blunt
QualityWatch
The Health Foundation, Nuffield Trust
October 2013

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