ENBIS: European Network for Business and Industrial Statistics

How to keep patient case sheet flows under control? A subset of ad hoc indicators and its statistical control in a healthcare organization.

22 September 2009, 11:40 – 12:10

Abstract

Submitted by

EVA LO FRANCO

Authors

Stefano Barone and Eva Lo Franco

Affiliation

University of Palermo - Italy

Abstract

Health care organizations manage administrative aspects often strictly related to key activities turning around the patient care. In that sense a relevant aspect concerns the management of all documentation performed by the organization staff and regarding a patient (e.g. medical reports, tests and other analyses, prescriptions, etc.).
In particular, we focus on patient case sheets: a case sheet being a folder in which all the documentation regarding the patient is collected.
The Italian legislation establishes a compulsory term for the delivery of a patient case sheet to his/her legitimated recipient (i.e. the patient). In fact, the time between a case sheet request and its release has not to exceed sixty days. Usually, but not necessarily, a patient requests his/her case sheet when discharged.
In this article we describe a process through which a sub-set of indicators for patient case sheets management is defined within a complex set of indicators aimed to measure and monitor some activities, mainly managerial, carried out by two departments of Oasi Maria SS., an Italian Institute for research and care.
Furthermore, it is shown how to keep the patient case sheets indicators under control by using the most suitable control charts. Results concerning the years 2005 and 2006 are analyzed.

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