Quality improvement project

Title

• Title indicates an initiative to improve healthcare.

Problem

• Define the nature and significance of the local problem, and the focus of your proposed QI project.

• Describe the local context:
  • type and size of organization
  • details about the staff members
  • brief description of patient population.

Aim Statement

• Time-specific and measurable; it should also define the specific population that will be affected (ihi.org, 2017).
• Use the S.M.A.R.T. criteria:
  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Achievable
  • Realistic/Relevant
  • Timely

Project Objectives

• Use the S.M.A.R.T. criteria to write each objective.

Background

• Summarize and synthesize the literature.
  • What is the existing evidence about why the problem exists?
  • Is there evidence for what works and what does not work to solve the problem?

Design

• Describe the change(s)/intervention(s) that you implemented to improve the quality of care.

Strategy

Model for Improvement (MFI)

Part 1:

Three fundamental questions

Part 2:

Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle

• Explain the strategy for improvement and discuss how you implemented your improvement cycles.
  

  For Part 1:

• State and respond to the 3 fundamental questions from the MFI

1. What are we trying to accomplish?
2. How will we know that a change(s) is an improvement?
3. What change(s) can we make that will result in improvement?

• For Part 2:
• Use the PDSA cycle to conduct the rapid test(s) of change on a small scale (ihi.org, 2017)

• Each phase of the PDSA cycle must be described in sufficient detail so the reader can replicate the cycle.

Results

• Provide a summary of the results using quality tools, e.g. run charts, control charts.

• Describe the variation in your data. Were the change(s)/intervention(s) responsible for improvements? Compare your results to your baseline data (measurement).

• Comment on how you assessed whether the data was complete and accurate. Was there any missing data? Please comment on whether there any unintended consequences such as unexpected benefits, problems, failures or costs with the change(s)/intervention(s).

Conclusion

• Reflect on the background knowledge including research, noting what is already known on this topic and what your project adds.

• Refer to aim statement; did your project achieve its purpose/aim? Was it a useful project? Were your measures appropriate and did you use balancing measures?
• Give an assessment of whether you think your project is sustainable and spread?