Process Improvement (PI) and Quality Improvement (QI) education and participation is an emergency medicine common program requirement.  Graduate medical education must take place in an environment that promotes patient safety and enhances quality patient care.  The Emergency Medicine Patient Safety and PI/QI curriculum will provide the resident with the knowledge and experience to analyze the care they provide, understand their roles within health care teams, and play an active role in system improvement processes. Graduating residents will apply these skills to critique their future unsupervised practice and effect quality improvement measures.

Graduation requirements: 

Every resident must have meaningfully participated in patient safety and process improvement projects during the course of their emergency medicine residency. 

• A PGY 2 is expected to complete 1 point by year’s end.

• A PGY 3 should have completed 2-3 points by year’s end.

• A PGY 4 must have accumulated 4 points to graduate.  

• Example of Patient Safety and PI/QI activity points awarded include:

  • • • • 4 points – Successful design, application submission, execution and completion of a pre-approved process improvement project, from initial concept to submission for publication (the traditional process improvement project). 
        • 4 points-Successful completion of Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Course.
        • 2 points – Lead multidisciplinary team through approved departmental process improvement project. 
        • 2 points –Successfully completed 1year term as departmental PI sustainment manager (PI project from previous academic year).  
        • 2 point – Successful development, completion, submission and selection for presentation of a PI project at Command’s process improvement fair.  
        • 2 point – Successful preparation, selection, and presentation of a scholarly abstract at a regional or national scholarly medical meeting. (ie. – poster presentation at a regional or national medical meeting).
        • 1 point – Participation on a local or national committee (CLER, ACHE, AAPL, or other organization centered around process improvement) and completion of RCA or Med Error Disclosure Training
        • 1 point – Successful completion of IHI Open School Basic Certificate in Quality & Safety, IPASS Training, TEAMS STEPPS Training, and submission of both a “Good Catch” and “Patient Safety Report.” 
        • 1 point – Successful active participation in one of the following tasks in a departmental PI project:
          • Primary data acquisition
          • Pre and post-intervention data analysis
          • Providing education to providers, nursing and support staff
          • Actively participating in sustainment activities

2024-2025 Projects

Microsoft Teams

-Current resources are disorganized and in multiple locations. Many people are unfamiliar with the new organization system of Microsoft Teams. 

-The CPGs will likely be organized by system utilizing Microsoft TEAMS

-It will include CPGs and any interdepartmental go-by/algorithms.

-Measurements will compare surveys given before and after implementation of new organization system.

Antibiotic recommendaitons

-No current resource for outpatient antibiotic  recommendations based off of local antibiogram.
-Create handout and resource of Microsoft Teams utilizing our local antibiogram and in consult with our ID department for common ED diagnosis.
-Measurements will compare correct antibiotic prescriptions before and after intervention.

Oral Rehydration therapy

-No current system in place for oral rehydration in the ED

-Find appropriate adult and pediatric oral rehydration options, and create system for delivery to the patients.

-Measurement will be non-inferiority to IV fluids for time to discharge, time to vital sign change

Sterile equipment

-Current storage of sterilized reusable equipment is chaotic, difficult to utilize, and creates waste by supplying unutilized equipment.

-Plan to identify equipment that is most utilized, and stop supplying the un-needed equipment. Also will create a more functional storage system which allows the user to find the needed equipment, and allow the supply team to see what needs to be refilled.

-Will measure the cost of maintaining the stile equipment before and after intervention. Will complete a survey for the staff before and after the intervention measuring easy of utilization.