Overview
Projects should focus on quality and provision of care for pediatric patients using the “plan, do, study, act” philosophy. Projects that focus on patient safety are encouraged. Your project may be linked to advocacy projects or a rigorous research project, but these must be approved on a case-by-case basis by both the QI leadership and your faculty mentor. Residents may work individually or in pairs to complete their projects.
Project Objectives
- Appropriately identify and define an opportunity for improvement
- Measure and analyze the performance gaps found, and recognize their possible impact on patient care
- Identify structure, process and outcome components appropriate to the project setting, and the associated patient population
- Ensure the structure, process and outcome components chosen are measurable and clearly linked to patient care
- Understand how each quality measure identified affects patient care
Curriculum Components
Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Modules
The University of Florida Health Science Center has partnered with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) in order to offer online, asynchronous learning related to quality improvement and patient safety. These modules will introduce key QI concepts, give background/rational for QI in the healthcare system and provide general information on methods for completing and measuring improvement. The following modules (listed below) are required learning. Learner progress will be actively tracked by Drs. Butler and E. Black using the IHI open school website. Modules can be accessed at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement website. You’ll need to create a username and password to access the site. Once you have access, click on IHI offerings, IHI open school, students residents and faculty, online learning and then select the specific course and lesson numbers.
QI Project Development (Worksheet #1)
Estimated time required: 2 hrs
The resident will identify a QI project and declare the resources and support for studying the quality issue.
- Complete worksheet # 1, and meet briefly with either Dr. Butler or Dr. E. Black to complete the following tasks:
- Identify a mentor (good mentors are usually continuity clinic supervisor, an advisor, or a sub-specialist within the field of study)
- Define key quality characteristic and plan for measuring
- Identify team (inter-professional teams encouraged)
QI Planning and Data Collection (Worksheets #2-4)
Estimated time required: 10-15 hrs
- Create a flowchart of process impacting key quality indicator
- Conduct a background literature review related to key quality characteristic
- Create a cause-effect (fishbone) diagram outlining the relationship of key quality characteristic to key drivers
- If applicable and constructive to the development of the QI project, the resident may also complete these additional tasks during this phase of the project
- Submit an IRB related to the QI project if it is expected that findings may be presented externally
- Conduct a drill-down of events related to the key quality characteristic
It is recommended that the resident meet with the team at least twice during this phase
Deciding on the Key Process Variable and Intervention Design (Worksheet #5)
Estimated time required: 1 hr
- Decide on the key process variable intended to be changed
- Identify a plan for measuring the key process variable during the pre-implementation and post-implementation phases of the project
- Create a SMART aims statement
- Decide on the intervention and timeline for data collection and implementation
Data Collection and Implementation
Estimated time required: variable. Should occur over several months.
- Collect pre-implementation data
- Coordinate the implementation of the intervention
- Collect post-implementation data
Data Analysis and Conclusions (Worksheet #6)
Estimated time needed: 5 hrs
- Analyze data using appropriate statistical techniques and draw conclusions on the effectiveness of the intervention as well as recommend future directions Dr. E. Black has expertise in statistical analysis and is available to help answer questions and guide you through this step as needed
- Summarize project in presentation or poster format to be presented to the residency program (more information below)