A tally sheet (also called a check sheet) collects data on how often something happens. It is fast to set up and easy to use at the point of work. It collects both numeric and observational data.
Use a tally sheet to:
- count how often an event occurs in real time
- gather data where it is generated, like the ward, clinic or unit
- feed counts straight into a Pareto chart or histogram for analysis.
Download tally sheet template (PDF 657.5 KB)
Tally sheet example
The following example is a tally sheet for causes of discharge delay from the emergency department. Each row lists a cause with tally marks recorded per audit period.
| Cause | Jan–Mar | Apr–Jun | Jul–Sep | Oct–Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| X-rays | 39 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 126 |
| Bed shortage | 13 | 16 | 21 | 13 | 63 |
| Review by team | 5 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 20 |
| Doctor busy | 4 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 24 |
| Patient | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 10 |
| Other | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 9 |
| Total | 67 | 61 | 66 | 58 | 252 |