Step-by-Step Demonstration:
Run Chart Tools (Excel Templates)
1
How to set up Excel to optimally work with run chart files that have built-in macros.
1. You may see this when you open the file.
Because it has macros, you get this
security warning, please enable the
content.
2. Click yes to proceed in using the tool.
3. If the excel file, still does not
open up appropriately, it may
be due to a macro security level
setting. See next slide for ways
to set up your Excel program to
address this. If this does not fix
the issue, please contact your
hospital’s IS department for
assistance.
2
How to set up Excel to optimally work with run chart files that have built-in macros.
1. Find the place on your version of Excel
where you can adjust the macro security
level (Excel 2010 shown here).
2. Be sure macro settings look like this.
3. When you open the file, enable macros.
4. If you have an older version of Excel, you
may need to lower the macro security by
one level to allow the file to open
successfully. Check your help button to
find out how to do this on various Excel
versions. If this does not work, please
contact your hospital’s local IS
department for assistance.
3
Orientation to Run Chart Tools’ Three Tabs
4
Step 1: Clear data entries in sample template. Save with new name
on your own computer.
Automatically
clears here
OR…be careful
if want to save
month/year labels.
You need to manually
clear all other white
fields.
and
and
5
Step 2: Edit the titles and legends fields as suggested in sample
template.
Type in your edits to best
reflect the metric specifics
for your improvement
project (note ratio
multiplier in cell E8).
6
Step 3: Select whether you are entering numerators (preferred)
or final rate values. This will automatically alter other fields.
7
Step 4: Edit ratio multiplier (10, 100, 1000) as applicable to metric.
1000 might be
appropriate for a
per 1000 catheter
days metric
(CAUTI). Be sure
your Y axis label
reflects this
multiplier.
8
Step 5: Enter in timeframes (dates, months, years) and reformat as applicable.
9
Step 6: Enter numerators and denominators (or just rates if using
final values in column C).
10
Step 7: Select if you want denominators on X-axis (a preferred display).
11
Step 8: Select if you want a goal line on graph (preferred display)
and value(s) for the goal.
For this example:
one may want to
set the goal to
half of current
rate, so enter in
3.3
3.3
1.8
Performance has
been improving below
goal the last 4 mos, so
decide to reset the
goal to half of current
rate, so enter in 1.8
12
Step 9: Click on the “Run Chart” tab to see if the display makes sense. Edit font sizes
as needed -OR- return to “1st line” tab to edit title / axis / legend fields.
13
Step 10: Edit / add annotations to run chart.
Be careful to not hide any points
(as shown here the Aug ‘12 point
of 4.1 was covered by the
bracketed shape). As necessary,
reformat shapes to make them
transparent by 50% or to have no
fill color.
14
Step 11: Return to “1st Line” tab to mark which dates / data
represent your baseline timeframe.
In this example, the baseline timeframe
prior to launching improvement efforts
was Jan ‘10- Dec ‘10, so cells for those
dates are marked with a 1 to represent
first median (baseline) = 6.7
15
Step 12: Return to “Run Chart” tab. Use run chart rules to identify special cause
variation. Readjust median line as applicable.
Six points below the
median meets “run
chart rule 1” for a
special cause, which
allows you to
readjust the median
line
16
Step 13: Return to “1st Line” tab to mark what dates / data represent the start of
your 2nd median line.
In this example, the 2nd median
timeframe after improvement
efforts started was Jan ‘11-most
current data point, so cells for those
dates marked with a 2 to represent
2nd median = 0
17
Step 14: Return to “Run Chart” tab and use run chart rules to identify special
cause variation. Readjust the median line as applicable.
Note the new median line rate of 0.0
shows successful improvement over
baseline rate of 6.7 (100% improvement).
Further analysis shows that the point
distribution seen here satisfies NO new
run chart rules, so the CAUTI rate has not
yet reached zero harm – there were 3
mos. (Oct ‘11, Jan ‘12, & Apr ‘12) when
patients acquired CAUTI. Still opportunity
for improvement.
18