QUALITY TOOLS

Tools of Quality

  • Dr. P. Sravanthi, Junior Resident, Department of Hospital Administration, KMC, Manipal

Contents

  1. Definition

  2. Relevance to Biomedical Engineers

  3. Quality Tools

1. Definition

Quality Definition

  • Quality is defined by Crosby as "the conformance to requirements realized through prevention and reduction of defects and nonconformances."

  • The essence of quality can also be summarized as: Do it right the first time.

Quality Management Philosophies

  • Lean: Focuses on maximizing customer value while minimizing waste.

  • Six Sigma: A management philosophy and methodology aiming to reduce variation, measuring defects, and improving quality of products, processes, and services.

2. Relevance to Biomedical Engineers

Current Status of Healthcare in India

  • India ranks 145th globally for quality and accessibility in healthcare, which is inadequate given its population size.

  • Quality of healthcare is impacted by:

    • Quality of medical equipment

    • Infrastructure

    • Training of healthcare providers

  • Challenges for developing countries include budgeting for healthcare improvements.

Role of Biomedical Engineering

  • Biomedical Engineering applies engineering principles to life sciences to develop medical equipment, software, and devices.

  • Key contributions include:

    • Design and development of medical aids for diagnostics.

    • Advancement of popular devices such as wearable technology, VR tools for 3D organ visualization, and robotic surgical assistance.

  • Importance of Regular Audits: Helps monitor and improve quality processes, thus potentially lowering quality control costs.

3. Quality Tools

Types of Quality Tools

  • Histograms

  • Pareto Charts

  • Cause and Effect Diagrams

  • Scatter Diagrams

  • Control Charts

  • Flow Charts

  • Check Sheets

Pareto Charts

  • Purpose: Identify and prioritize issues by separating vital causes from trivial ones; based on the 80/20 rule (80% of results come from 20% of causes).

  • Originated by Wilfredo Pareto who observed wealth distribution in 19th century Italy.

  • Joseph Juran expanded these ideas into quality management, stating that 80% of defects result from 20% of causes.

Cause and Effect Diagrams (Fishbone/Ishikawa Diagrams)

  • Created by Kaoru Ishikawa in the 1960s for identifying root causes of problems.

  • Helps explore and visualize possible causes structured around major categories.

  • Common structures include:

    • Six M's: Measurement, Material, Methods, Machines, Management, Manpower.

    • Four P's: Policies, Procedures, People, Plant.

    • Four S's: Surroundings, Suppliers, Systems, Skills.

How to Use Fishbone Diagram

  1. Draw the fishbone structure with the problem at the head.

  2. Add categories to spur ideas.

  3. Use post-it notes for brainstorming and categorize ideas without debate.

  4. Consolidate ideas into a more permanent form for ongoing review.

Conclusion

  • Quality improvement involves collaborative brainstorming and identification of potential root causes, followed by further investigation to determine probable root causes.

Thank You