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Quality Improvement

Define and Importance of QI
Introduction to Quality Improvement (QI)
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What is Quality Improvement?: Quality improvement refers to systematic, data-driven efforts to improve the safety, effectiveness, and efficiency of healthcare services. The goal is to enhance patient outcomes, reduce errors, and optimize care delivery processes.
Importance of QI: QI plays a central role in making healthcare better, safer, and more efficient.
Goals of QI:
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Improves Patient outcomes by helping to reduce medical errors
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Enhances patient safety: Systematic analysis of errors helps prevent future incidents
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Reduces Cost – By preventing errors, streamlining processes, QI cuts down on waste.
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Increase efficiency – Improving workflow
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Promotes Accountability & transparency: tracking and reporting QI data encourages transparency.
The Peer Review Process
Improvement Framework
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The first step is to clearly define the problem we’re looking to solve. Without a clear understanding of the challenge, it’s impossible to create effective solutions. During this phase, we:
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Set the Scope: Define the specific area or process that requires improvement.
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Establish Objectives: Identify the desired outcomes and how success will be measured
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Gather Stakeholder Input: Involve employees, or other stakeholders to understand their perspective.
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Diagnose: Analyze Root Causes
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In this phase, we focus on understanding the root causes of the issues identified in the Define phase. We use various diagnostic tools to dig deeper and analyze the problem, such as:
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Root Cause Analysis (RCA): To identify underlying causes instead of just symptoms.
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Data Collection & Analysis: Gathering relevant data to understand trends and patterns
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Process Mapping: To visualize workflows and identify inefficiencies.
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Test & Implement:
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The focus is on designing, testing, and fully implementing solutions. After identifying the best solutions, we:
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Solution Design: Develop potential solutions based on insights from the Diagnose phase.
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Pilot Testing: Implement small-scale tests or trials to see how the solutions perform in practice.
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Measure Results: Collect data during the test phase to evaluate the effectiveness of the solutions.
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Full Implementation: Once we’ve validated the solution through testing, we roll it out on a larger scale.
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Training & Communication: Ensure employees understand the new processes and are trained to implement them.
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Monitor & Adjust: Track the results of the implementation and adjust as necessary to ensure success.
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Sustain & Spread:
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In the Sustain & Spread phase, we work to ensure that improvements are maintained over time and scale them across the organization. This phase includes:
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Standardization: Develop standard operating procedures to ensure consistent application of changes.
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Continuous Monitoring: Track performance to ensure that improvements are sustained and refined over time.
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Ongoing Training: Offer continuous learning opportunities to employees to reinforce best practices and ensure everyone is aligned.
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Sharing Success: Spread successful solutions across other areas of the organization and share lessons learned.
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SMARTIE Aim and Metrics
To ensure our initiatives have clear direction and purpose, we set SMARTIE Aims—goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound, Inclusive, and Equitable. In conjunction with clear metrics, these goals help us track our progress and make data-driven decisions that lead to tangible improvements.

Tools
Process map, fishbone, swim lane, key driver, diagram, impact/effort, matrix, PDSA
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Questions? Send an email to DirectorofOperations@psrc.net​