Uses of Statistical Paper

HCS/438

Our inpatient Psychiatric Unit uses statistical information to provide and track the quality of patient care within our hospital. The statistical information helps to compare our hospital and services offered to that of other inpatient psychiatric hospitals in other communities. Ratings and scores provided in surveys or questionnaires that are completed by patients can provide valuable information to identify what is working and what is not working to promote positive outcomes. Statistics at our facility are used to monitor improvement or decline during therapy on our unit. The information gathered is compared against the prior level of functioning, the current level of functioning, and final level of functioning to determine what is called GAF Scale. The Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) is a numeric scale (1 through 100). Used by mental health clinicians and physicians to rate subjectively the social, occupational, and psychological functioning of adults, e.g., how well or adaptively one is meeting various problems-in-living. (Hall, 1995). This information is used to inform a much higher level of care. To determine the level of pay that can be allocated to our hospital for each patient’s stay is depended on his or her level of progress and if the patient was functional enough at discharge to return home. An example of descriptive statistics in our facility is our quarterly analysis report. Each quarter our unit receives an analysis report depicting our average number of patients and their discharge destination. It shows us a percentage of patients who were able to discharge home or to their prior living arrangement. It also shows how many were readmitted to an acute care setting, and how many required discharge to Room & Boards (R&B), Board & cares (B&C), or to their homes. Placing focus on hospital level of care. If the patient is still having suicide or having homicidal ideations. If the patient remains gravely disabled due to their mental status and is unable to provide food, shelter, or clothing for themselves without any outside support. Are they able and willing to take their medications independently and if they can manage their money and pay their bills. A nominal level of measurement would include the surveys we mail to all of our patients following a stay at our hospital. This survey consists of questions requiring a simple yes or no answer that provide qualitative measures of specific categories of questions. As the surveys come back in for review, results are recorded by the month the patient was in our facility. We mailed out 15 surveys and have received ten back. Eight of the ten patients stated they would refer our hospital to others. 14 out of 15 reported sufficient discharge instructions and medication and treatment plan education prior to discharge. The areas identified as dissatisfied in any manner may either produce further surveys for more descriptive data. Or may simply be shared at, what is referred to as a "round table meeting". Within these discussions, our VP will go over results and asks employees for their input on ways to improve the areas of highest ranking of dissatisfaction. Our Psychiatric Department tracks length of stays per diagnosis of our patients and compares the numbers each month to the numbers of the same month in the previous year. The unit's goal to decrease the length of