What is Quality Improvement?

Quality improvement (QI) involves the implementation of a systematic, formal approach to the analysis of current practice performance using defined measures, with the goal of improving current performance.  As such, QI is integral to providing safe and effective patient care.

QI is different to quality assurance. The focus of QI is towards improvement in current practices; quality assurance, however, addressees whether practice performance is meeting expected standards. 

QI research strives to bridge the gap between ideal and actual care. QI differs from other types of clinical research in that the focus of QI is on how to improve the system and process of delivering patient care in order to improve patient outcomes using tangible methods and interventions, and achieve safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient and equitable patient care.

QI Curriculum

The QI curriculum will span over two years. The curriculum includes:

• • 1. QI AHD workshop attendance. 

    2. Attendance at the DoM EPIQ workshop (if not previously attended).

    3. Completion of 4 Institute of Health Improvement (IHI) modules on QI.   

    4. In person attendance at the AHS Patient safety Fundamentals course OR completion of 5 IHI modules on patient safety.

    5. 1 face-face educational session on patient safety. 

    6. Participation in Divisional morbidity / mortality rounds.

    7. Initiation and completion of a QI project by end of R5 year.

    8. Presentation of QI project at AHD / Geriatric grand rounds

What is Quality Improvement?

Quality improvement (QI) involves the implementation of a systematic, formal approach to the analysis of current practice performance using defined measures, with the goal of improving current performance.  As such, QI is integral to providing safe and effective patient care.

QI is different to quality assurance. The focus of QI is towards improvement in current practices; quality assurance, however, addressees whether practice performance is meeting expected standards. 

QI research strives to bridge the gap between ideal and actual care. QI differs from other types of clinical research in that the focus of QI is on how to improve the system and process of delivering patient care in order to improve patient outcomes using tangible methods and interventions, and achieve safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient and equitable patient care.

QI Curriculum

The QI curriculum will span over two years. The curriculum includes:

• • 1. QI AHD workshop attendance. 

    2. Attendance at the DoM EPIQ workshop (if not previously attended).

    3. Completion of 4 Institute of Health Improvement (IHI) modules on QI.   

    4. In person attendance at the AHS Patient safety Fundamentals course OR completion of 5 IHI modules on patient safety.

    5. 1 face-face educational session on patient safety. 

    6. Participation in Divisional morbidity / mortality rounds.

    7. Initiation and completion of a QI project by end of R5 year.

    8. Presentation of QI project at AHD / Geriatric grand rounds

QI Resources

There are some great resources available to help with developing both a basic understanding in Quality Improvement in addition to providing assistance with planning and conducting a QI project.  Please see below for a list of key QI and patient safety resources.

Online:

Institute Of Healthcare Improvement (IHI) (http://www.ihi.org/)

Through their Open School Program, they provide a number of core online modules on QI and patient safety. Many of these modules have been incorporated into our curriculum. 

EPIQ (http://www.epiq.ca/)

This is a website detailing a recently developed Canadian evidence- based QI method for conducting QI projects. EPIQ based workshops are currently being scheduled regularly and attendance at these workshops will be mandatory for all geriatric speciality residents. 

AHS - AHS Improvement Way (AIW) (http://insite.albertahealthservices.ca/aiw.asp)

AHS’s AIW is an AHS-developed organization-wide improvement process approach designed for solving problems, implementing improvements, and managing change within healthcare, which is based on Lean and Six Sigma principles. 

Texts:

Langley GJ, Moen RD, Nolan TW, Normon CL, Provost LP. The Improvement Guide – 2nd edition. 2009. Jossey-Bass.  San Francisco, Ca, USA. 

QI Objectives

Patient safety:

• • • Understand and define ‘patient safety’ and ‘healthcare- related harm’.

    • Describe the key components contributing to patient safety.

    • Identify and / or develop strategies and methods to promote patient safety that incorporate both human and system factors.

    • Understand and describe how patient safety incidents develop and, using available resources, be able to develop a strategy for responding to such incidents.

Quality Improvement:

• • • Acquire a basic understanding around quality improvement and its role in healthcare.

    • Understand the key differences between Quality improvement and Quality Assurance

    • Understand the role of Quality Improvement (including audits), for improving the delivery of healthcare, patient care and safety, and for practice (and personal) development.  

    • Understand the most commonly used QI methodology and tools available

    • Utilize one of these QI methods to develop a QI project.