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Quality Improvement Tools In Disease Management, Lisa E. Paddock, Amy L. Phillips, Peter Chodoff

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

Disease management programs require constant monitoring to assure quality and address problems efficiently. To initiate continuous quality improvement in a disease management program, there are several methods available to identify potential problems within the program that may be affecting quality. Some common quality improvement instruments include the Plan-Do-Check-Act model, check sheets, and so forth. Whatever model is used, Statistical Process Control using flow charts, histograms, Pareto diagrams, scatter diagrams, control charts, and cause-and-effect diagrams provides a better understanding about how the organization's processes are functioning. These tools facilitate problem recognition and allow an organization to meet established standards of quality …