Experimental design in health care

Abstract

Design of experiments (DOE) is a collection of statistically based methods for testing multiple process improvement ideas after a quality improvement team has made initial improvements to remove defects and stabilize the process. Although experimental design techniques are not new, their use in improving administrative processes has not been fully exploited. Anderson Area Medical Center, located in Anderson, South Carolina, used classical quality improvement methods and DOE to significantly decrease patient dissatisfaction with emergency room services from an average of 27 percent to 6 percent.