CHAPTER 9
DRILLING DOWN INTO AGGREGATE DATA FOR IMPROVEMENT
Heath care data are often reported in a highly aggregated form. Using this data for improvement can be a challenge. This chapter introduces a Drill Down Pathway for learning from aggregated data. The Drill Down Pathway uses the methods discussed in Chapters Four and Five. To drill down effectively into highly aggregated data requires the use of the appropriate Shewhart chart, an understanding of special and common cause improvement strategies, and the skills of disaggregation and rational subgrouping. In this chapter the reader will learn to display data at the aggregate level to determine system stability. After this, the reader will learn of an often overlooked step in data analysis. ...
