Application of statistics in health care
Introduction
statistics is not only vital in medical research but also applicable in general clinical practices. It provides valid and estimated data that aids in the allocation of resources in various department, private and public sectors. Health care statistics covers the evaluation of effective intervention and description of incidences or situations such as birth rates and death rates, sex networks, the transmission rate of infectious diseases and cancer rates. Evaluation of intervention effectiveness involves a decrease in risky behaviours, control event rate and relative survival.
Application of statistics in health care
Statistics used in medical institutions use data in describing the observations in numerals and graphical representations. They are mostly used in medical research labs, medical agencies, international bodies, e.g., the world health organization(WHO) and disease control and prevention centres. Statistics help medical practitioners to draw reasonable and accurate conclusions from data collected from the public or various institutions. These conclusions are then used in decision making and preventing errors in medical research.
They are promoting quality.
Statistics assist in retrieving vital information and evidence on the quality and cost of services offered to the patient. Human resources use statistics to monitor service delivery, therefore, data aids in measuring and improving the level of performance based on the outcome, e.g. short time taken for intervening, availability of medication or service required, low death rates for the patient and increased number of patients discharged in stable condition. Improved quality is identified by data comparison from the previous records, state and international trend.
Safety
Patient safety is a significant concern in every health sector due to medical errors that have been occurring, many of them leading to death. Research estimated 44, ooo-98,000 people die annually due to avoidable medical errors. However, the use of statistics in health systems has brought a significant change. Statistics has enabled minimization of errors through data analysis and evaluation of employee performance that influence quality services to a patient. Thus safety assured.
Health promotion
Health promotion target is to educate people about healthy lifestyle to control chronic and infectious diseases. Programs set to aid in health promotion and prevention of infections include: Educating people to change unhealthy behaviours associated with social, cultural and political practices. For example, a bad eating habit that results in diseases such as diabetes mellitus, cancer, stroke and kidney. This program is done through training on a balanced diet, avoiding risky practices, for instance, unprotected sex that can lead to HIV. Introducing health promotion courses in schools and support of knowledgeable groups, e.g. youth to help in creating awareness of health safety measures, creating friendly environment and change of rules and regulations to encourage safe practices within the community. Health promotion campaigns through the media, roadshows, announcement and talk about health behaviours in public places.
Leadership
Statistics helps leaders in policy and decision making by providing quality information that includes: identifying and analyzing of a problem or need in an organization thus making it easy for the leaders to come up with a problem-solving strategy. Monitoring and evaluation of policy to know whether it achieved the set goal. Employees’ performance is conducted based on the data provided by statistics. Quality assurance being the primary goal in the health sector, it is attained by reduction of production cost and benchmarking. statistics that eliminates all errors and waste.in areas of uncertainty, leaders use substantial evidence from statistics to set goals for health care providers
2.Discusses sources of statistical data and utilization of statistics in an organization
Health care Statistical information is obtained through various methods that include:
Focus groups
a population sample of few people with similar diseases or health problems discuss challenges and their perspective about what they go through and respond to questions. The responses are captured by writing or video record. This method is requiring less time and few resources compared to other methods. However, it is not the best/fair method because the participants can influence the response of others.
Interviews
Statistical data can is obtained from various discussions, e.g. mailed questionnaire, online interviews, telephone interviews and face to face interview. This method offers adequate information through detailed responses from the person in an interview.
Sample survey
This method of data collection is adaptable, and it not only used in health care institutions but also in government and other areas that require data. Accuracy is achieved by selecting the sample carefully and appropriately.to test the questionnaire you interview a few people to enable you to identify any correction that may be required.
Health care statistics are used in research, planning and decision making. Researchers use statistical data to sample human population based on gender, race, age, disability and income. This information helps to identify the needs and distribution of goods and services. Organizations use statistical data to do benchmarking of staff performance and overall quality analysis to measure future outcomes. This information helps in making long-term and short-term plans for the company. Decision-makers use both discrete and continuous data to determine whether the past decisions were useful or not by comparing records. Review and evaluation of opinions from specific sample population are done, and it through that data decisions are made. Increasing demand for Organized services and products in health care has resulted in embracing emerging technologies. Statistical data enables the organization to predict new needs arising in future and how they will be satisfied.
CONCLUSION
It is clear statistics is key in health care institutions. Patients and management team are the greatest beneficiaries of health care statistics because it has enhanced offering improved quality services with reduced medical errors that were resulting from the inappropriate transfer of patients’ information, e.g. from ICU to recovery room. Mishandling of information led to the wrong diagnosis, thus resulting in a mortality rate. Managers find it easy to make decisions due to summarized information from statistics that entail efficiency and effectiveness of medical tools. Heath decision-makers have developed an interest in a healthy population, aiming at controlling death rates to 0. therefore, an effort will be integrated into measures of quality adjustment.