Questions: Selection of the Quality Tools, Data Collection (Essay Sample)

Quality Tools
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Quality Tools
Question 1: Selection of the Quality Tools
The check sheets, flow chats, histograms, cause and effect diagrams, ran and control chart and scatter diagrams are the six selected quality tools. To begin with, cause and effect diagram is mainly used for determining different challenges in the organization or research setting. Apart from that, it develops an effective process and mainly focuses on a group. The checks sheets are widely applied but are limited to a researcher’s imagination. One may utilize them to collect data and present it in a way that it can be translated to essential information (Goetsch & Davis, 2014). The histograms, as the quality tools, are used for checking the frequency of any occurrence. For checking the relationship between various variables, the scatter diagram is considered the best choice. The run and control charts are important in tracking the flow of a process and how improvements can be made. Lastly, the flowchart is mainly used to represent a process while checking for flows and areas of enhancement.
While applying the above mentioned six quality tools to Gordon Hospital in Georgia, their usage will depend on the specific elements being analyzed. The cause and effect diagram will be important for evaluation of different processes in the emergency department and the possible reasons behind patient delay. The check sheets will be used to understand the patient flow at the emergency department and determine the potential areas for the delay. The histogram will help understand how regularly the patient delays occur. The scatter chart will evaluate the potential causes of the patient delay and determine the relationship between the poor technology systems and patient delay as well as the interaction between the increased patient time at the emergency department and the nurses’ competence. The run and control chart will help in introduction of an EBP that aims at reducing the number of falls in the facility (Goetsch & Davis, 2014). The flow chart will be used to understand the workforce competence at the workplace as well as the reasons behind poor quality patient outcome.
Question 2: Data Collection
Collection of data depends on the specific quality tool and the information being evaluated. It also depends on variables as well as the research approach, whether qualitative and quantitative. For the cause and effect tool, data collection would involve observation and evaluation of the documents, records, and case studies. For the check sheets, the collection of data would involve evaluating the documents and records, which is also applicable in histograms. Histograms would also comprise the secondary data from case studies (Bowling, 2014). The scatter chart would employ the oral history and evaluation of case studies and surveys. While the run and control charts would use questionnaires and interviews, the flow chart would also utilize observation. Essential to note is that all the data collection techniques are based on the researcher’s main objectives and the method that will be used in analyzing this information. Both the numerical and conceptual data is important for explaining the research objectives. While the quantitative studies provide numerical data, qualitative data collection presents theoretical data.
Question 3: Frequency of Monitoring the Data and Actions
The frequency of data collection is dependent on the specific tool and the time aspect of the research question. Notably, there is a time frame for the completion of every research which determines how frequent the data is collected. What one does with the data is related to the tool and the variables being analyzed. For the tools which aim at understanding the process and identifying the possible causes of time delays at the emergency department, the frequency will be on a daily basis. Such tools include the causes and effect, scatter and flowchart. For those tools which evaluate the documents and records of the facility, the frequency of data collection will also be on a daily basis. However, for the interviews and surveys, the data can be collected once although this is determined by the target groups and the number of facilities being evaluated (Auberlet et al., 2014). Considering what to do with the information, it will be analyzed based on the research object...