Discuss the historical application of statistics in the field of health care. Describe an example, other than Florence Nightingale’s contributions, where statistical application has greatly influenced or changed health care operations or practice.

What Is Statistics And Why It Is Important To Health Sciences?-Solution

Statistics in Health Sciences

Statistics is a branch of mathematics that focuses on data collection, analysis, interpretation, presentation, and organization. It involves applying several arithmetical techniques and tools to understand complex data sets. Statistics has various applications in many fields, including business, economics, engineering, social sciences, and healthcare. In healthcare, statistics play a crucial role in providing insights into patterns and trends in health outcomes, identifying risk factors for diseases, and evaluating the effectiveness of interventions.(Historical-application of statistics in health-care EssayExample)

One of the earliest recorded applications of statistics in healthcare was by John Graunt, an English demographer, who published a landmark study in 1662 on the causes of death in London (Tseng & Lin, 2019). Graunt used the Bills of Mortality to analyze patterns of disease and death in the city. He developed the first life table, which showed the probability of surviving at each age, and used this information to estimate life expectancy. He also used the Bills of Mortality to calculate the first crude death rate, which is still used today as a measure of mortality (Iqbal et al., 2019). Graunt’s work influenced the development of epidemiology, the study of the patterns, causes, and effects of health and disease in populations. His use of statistical methods to analyze health data paved the way for the development of modern public health practices.(Historical-application of statistics in health-care EssayExample)

Another example of statistical application in healthcare is by William Edwards Deming. Deming was a statistician who developed the concept of total quality management (TQM) and introduced statistical process control to healthcare (Iqbal et al., 2019). TQM is a management approach that focuses on continuous improvement and customer satisfaction, while statistical process control involves using statistical tools to monitor and control a process. Deming’s contributions have greatly influenced healthcare operations and practice by improving healthcare quality and reducing costs. By implementing TQM and statistical process control, healthcare organizations have identified and eliminated errors, reduced waste, and improved patient outcomes. For example, a hospital implementing Deming’s methods reduced its medication error rate from 5% to 0.3%, resulting in better patient safety and reduced costs (Kaur & Singh, 2019).(Historical-application of statistics in health-care EssayExample)

In conclusion, statistics play a crucial role in healthcare by identifying risk factors and evaluating treatment effectiveness. Its historical use in healthcare has paved the way for modern epidemiology and inspired new and innovative ways to improve healthcare practices and outcomes. Statistical analysis provides healthcare professionals with a systematic way to measure and interpret data, which helps in making informed decisions regarding patient care. With the continued development of statistical methodologies and technology, healthcare providers can access accurate and reliable information to guide their decision-making, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes and overall improvements in the quality of healthcare.(Historical-application of statistics in health-care EssayExample)

References

Iqbal, S., Pipon-Young, L., & Atif, M. (2019). The role of statistics in healthcare: A review. Journal of Health Management, 21(4), 496-504. https://doi.org/10.1177/0972063419854482

Kaur, M., & Singh, A. (2019). Importance of statistics in the healthcare sector. International Journal of Scientific Research and Review, 8(3), 3219-3223. https://doi.org/10.17406/ijstr.v8i3.23587

Tseng, J., & Lin, C. (2019). The use of statistics in healthcare: A review. Journal of Medical Systems, 43(5), 106. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10916-019-1251-6