Question

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.

Answer 1

Ans) Health Statistics provide information for understanding, monitoring, improving and planning the use of resources to improve the lives of people, provide services and promote their well-being.

- Statistics are used in healthcare for research, quality improvement, inequalities in healthcare, risk analysis, inventory management and cost, resource utilization, patient length of stay, patient satisfaction, clinical trials, morbidity and mortality, effects of new treatments, measuring change, laboratory analysis, education, and much more.

- Statistics have been utilized in healthcare since at least the 19thcentury.

- Florence Nightingale used a statistical approach to decrease the mortality rate of British troops in Crimea.

- Demonstrated the value of aseptic techniques and infection control procedures.

- Honored for her contributions to nursing research.
- Demonstrated the value of political activism to effect health care reform.
- Established the first nursing school in England.
-Honored as the founder of professional nursing services, initiated social services, spent up to 20 hours each day providing nursing care.
- Introduced principles of asepsis and infection control, a system for transcribing doctors' orders, and a system to maintain patient records
- Kept careful statistics: documented a decrease in the death rate of soldiers from 42% to 2% as a result of health care reforms that emphasized sanitary conditions.