Application of Statistics in Healthcare

Application of Statistics in Healthcare

By definition, statistics is a broad term that involves the practice of collecting and conducting an analysis of statistical data in massive quantities. Normally, statistics is often a small representation of a group. Over time, statistics has been used in the healthcare sector for various meaningful reasons. The paper aims at detailing the contribution that statistics is making in the healthcare sector with a great focus on the implication of this concept on safety, health promotion, quality improvement, and leadership. Statistics has had a positive impact on all aspects of patient safety, quality, health promotion, and leadership.

Regarding quality, significant progress has been made in the improvement of patient outcomes, thanks to statistical knowledge. Quality service delivery, especially in the nursing sector, is dependent on evidence based practice (Kim & Mallory, 2014). By definition, evidence based practice relates to a type of practice that is informed by research. Research is only possible if a scientist has all the basics of statistics because he or she will be tasked with the mandate of collecting data through various means. Besides, healthcare professionals are equally expected to interpret the data that they have collected. The analysis and interpretation of data are dependent on the available statistical knowledge.

Apart from evidence based knowledge, statistics help in enhancing quality because it makes it possible for nurses and other healthcare professionals to accurately record patients’ data and look at the trend over time to ensure that there is an improvement (Worobey, Han & Rambaut, 2014). A nurse may be interested in studying the trends of catheter-associated urinary tract infections, for example. The nurse will have to collect data over time and study it. There are significant chances that the nurse may know the reason why CAUTI is prevalent, including the rates. The nurse then develops interventions that are essential in solving the problem, thus improving quality.

Apart from quality improvement, statistics has made it possible for healthcare professionals to enhance patient safety. By participating in research, healthcare professionals look for ways of improving patient outcomes, thereby enhancing safety. The concept of safety is closely related to quality improvement through research (Scott & Mazhindu, 2014). Being that statistics make it possible for healthcare professionals to engage in research, there is a possibility that these studies do benefit not only the patient but also the society at large. A nurse who is interested in preventing a particular condition such as malaria in a particular area, for example, will no doubt engage in research that aims at preventing the condition. The study is only relevant if the statistical tools are relevantly used to arrive at promising solutions.

Regarding health promotion, I tend to think that statistics offers solutions to some of the problems that affect people in the society. A health problem such as diabetes, for example, may be identified in a particular population. The identification of the condition among the population is in itself statistics because it involved knowing the number of people suffering from the condition. Research makes it possible to know the reason why such a condition is prevalent. With such knowledge, it becomes easy to enhance health promotion on how to prevent the condition. Health promotion on HIV/AIDS, for example, is done based on the number of people living with the condition (Worobey, Han & Rambaut, 2014). Statistics has made it known that the condition is quite prevalent across the globe, and there is a significant need to address it.

Healthcare leadership is yet another sector that is quite dependent on statistics. As a leader, one is expected to keep proper records. The records range from financial records to health records. Without proper statistical knowledge, it becomes difficult for the leaders to keep accurate records that reflect the healthcare organization’s progress over time. Apart from the storage of data, the leaders may be expected to engage in various studies within their healthcare organization. The success of such a study is dependent on statistical knowledge.

The day to day activities within my healthcare facility significantly rely on healthcare statistics. We often use it to keep track of quality measures within the facility. On a daily basis, patients, especially those in the inpatient wings, are evaluated for healthcare-acquired infections such as pneumonia and CAUTI. The rates of such conditions are documented over time to know the position of the facility as far as quality improvement is concerned. Besides, we collect daily information on the rates of falls and mortality rates within the facility. Collecting such information helps in determining rates of mortality and falls and as such help in knowing whether the facility is meeting the needs of the patents as expected. Besides, we evaluate patients on their satisfaction levels once they have been treated or discharged to help us know whether there are areas that should be improved. The data is obtained from the nurses in charge. The statistical knowledge has helped me in making appropriate decisions, especially those that are essential in improving the outcomes of the patients. I strive to adhere to evidence-based guidelines to help in improving patient safety and improve quality.

Conclusion

In conclusion, statistics act as the backbone of evidence based practice. Most of the peer-reviewed journals and articles pertaining to nursing service delivery are based on statistics. The authors of these articles collect data, analyze the results, and present conclusions that are helpful in improving service delivery. Advanced practice nurses should always learn the various aspects of statistics to help them in knowing, enhancing safety, and improving quality.