Module 5: Quality Improvement

Part 1: Based on one of the research topics you have been considering, or another topic of interest to you, create a QI Problem Statement.

- For example, "Team debriefings after a Code Blue is known to improve patient survival. Our hospital does not have a formal procedure to assure that team debriefings take place after a Code Blue.")

In one page, describe why this problem is important (referencing published literature and/or observed experience in your clinical setting), who it affects (e.g., certain types of clinic staff, certain types of patients, etc.), and how they are affected.

- Also explain what products, services, policies, or procedures are currently involved in causing the problem and/or might need to be changed to solve the problem.

- Consider aligning your QI Problem Statement with at least one of the six dimensions of quality: safety, effectiveness, patient centeredness, timeliness, efficiency, and equity.

Part 2: In one page, describe an intervention to address your QI Problem Statement that uses SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound).

- Choose at least one Process Measure (e.g., changes to the way care is delivered) and one Outcome Measure (e.g., changes in clinic staff satisfaction, patient experience, or patient health outcomes) that can be used to assess the results of your intervention, and Balance Measure (e.g., how to be sure that your intervention is not introducing new problems into other parts of the system that were not there before).

- For example, if you chose to implement a new Code Blue Debriefing protocol as described above, a process measure might be the number and proportion of times the protocol was actually used in the following 3 months after implementation.

An outcomes measure for this intervention might include staff satisfaction with team communication and/or the number and proportion of patients that survived Code Blue 6 months after implementation of the protocol compared to the year before implementation of the protocol.

A balance measure might involved checking to see whether the amount of time needed for the debriefings increased the amount of cross coverage needed for other patients to make them possible. To guide you with this homework, we are also providing a QI Project Charter Template as a reference. This was developed by Dr. Brooke Harris and colleagues at Kaiser Permanente. This template goes beyond the goals for this homework but may be useful to you if you choose to propose a full-scale QI project in your Final Protocol. 

Part 3: Explore the Institute for Healthcare Improvement webpage. Propose appropriate data collection and presentations tools for your QI-related project, justify your rationale for choosing the tools, and review with it with your mentor.