Statistical Process Control for monitoring exams prescriptions in medical cooperatives

Abstract

One of the critical control points of quality control for medical cooperatives regards the over prescription of exams by their members. On the other hand, a high number of medical consultations with no exam prescription may indicate a cavalier attitude, leading to a potential disrepute by customers in the medium term. The expectation of exams per doctor is a function of his/her ability of correctly diagnose, medical specialty, ethical and moral principles, among others. This paper suggests the use of Statistical Process Control for monitoring the number of exams prescriptions and illustrates it with a case-study. Such methodology seems to be very useful for managing medical institutions, avoiding unnecessary expenditures but guaranteeing the service quality.