Using the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) Model for Continuous Quality Improvement of an Established Simulated Patient Program

Objective: To describe the use of a continuous quality improvement process for strengthening our simulated patient (SP) program and the initial steps that have been implemented. Innovation: A workgroup that included five clinical faculty with significant experience working with SPs and a strong interest in improving the SP program was developed. The Plan-Do-Study-Act model was used as it allowed for incremental quality improvement changes, in order to ensure a high-quality SP program designed to optimize student learning. Data were gathered from students, SPs, and faculty. Opportunities for improvement were prioritized based on anticipated benefits and available resources. Changes related to planning, implementation, and evaluation and feedback have been executed. Critical Analysis: Changes related to planning that were implemented included developing handbooks for SPs, faculty, and graduate student instructors, as well as material for students in order to better describe the program. SPs are now referred to as “simulated” as opposed to “standardized” as part of a broader effort to clarify the purpose of SP interactions to students. Streamlined rubrics have been piloted, including electronic rubrics for first year students. SPs are being trained on fewer cases, in order to improve the training program. When possible, activities now take place in one large classroom instead of many small classrooms to improve oversight. Finally, additional feedback has been obtained from SPs via a retreat. These changes have been well received by students, SPs, and faculty. Next Steps: The collection of this data and initial quality improvement changes provided a basis for hiring a full-time employee who will: dedicate 50% of their time to programmatic assessment of the SP program, support faculty with logistics and training, and be the face of our program to the students and SPs. Further, formal quantitative and qualitative assessment of the SP program has begun. Type: Note

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The Affinity Between Continuous Quality Improvement and Epidemic Surveillance

Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology ◽

10.1086/646689 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 95-98 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Joseph H. Brewer ◽

Carolyn S. Gasser

Keyword(s):

Quality Improvement ◽

Infection Control ◽

Continuous Quality Improvement ◽

Acute Care Hospital ◽

Care Hospital ◽

Full Time ◽

Continuous Quality ◽

Strongly Connected ◽

Trauma Teams ◽

Full Time Employee

AbstractObjective:To discuss the close affinity between the continuous quality improvement (CQI) concept of monitoring a process for the introduction of special causes and epidemic surveillance.Design:A case study of a CQI tool for infection control epidemic surveillance.Setting and Patients:A 668-bed acute care hospital with 5 intensive care units supporting heart, liver transplant, and trauma teams. The infection control department consists of 2.5 full-time employee nurse epidemiologists and a medical director who is an infectious disease specialist.Results:The outbreak investigation illustrates principles of CQI and their relationship to epidemic surveillance through the use of applied statistical methods.Conclusions:The expanding role of hospital epidemiology is enhanced by applying CQI concepts to improving health care. The application of epidemiologic tools and principles to the problems of nosocomial infections is strongly connected to the CQI concept of using dependable data to improve processes.

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Setting the standard for healthy eating: Continuous quality improvement for health promotion at Nova Scotia Health

Healthcare Management Forum ◽

10.1177/0840470420967705 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 34 (1) ◽

pp. 49-55

Author(s):

Laura J. Kennedy ◽

Nathan G. A. Taylor ◽

Taylor Nicholson ◽

Emily Jago ◽

Brenda L. MacDonald ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Promotion ◽

Quality Improvement ◽

Nova Scotia ◽

Healthy Eating ◽

Continuous Quality Improvement ◽

Healthcare Organizations ◽

Quality Improvement Process ◽

Continuous Quality ◽

The Status ◽

Collaborative Efforts

Healthcare organizations engage in continuous quality improvement to improve performance and value-for-performance, but the pathway to change is often rooted in challenging the way things are “normally” done. In an effort to propel system-wide change to support healthy eating, Nova Scotia Health developed and implemented a healthy eating policy as a benchmark to create a food environment supportive of health. This article describes the healthy eating policy and its role as a benchmark in the quality improvement process. The policy, rooted in health promotion, sets a standard for healthy eating and applies to stakeholders both inside and outside of health. We explain how the policy offers nutrition but also cultural benchmarks around healthy eating, bringing practitioners throughout Nova Scotia Health together and sustaining collaborative efforts to improve upon the status quo.

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Continuous Quality Improvement of an Engineering Program as a Requirement for Abet Accreditation

Multidisciplinary Aspects of Production Engineering ◽

10.2478/mape-2018-0050 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 393-398

Author(s):

Michalene Eva Grebski ◽

Radosław Wolniak ◽

Wieslaw Grebski

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Quality Improvement ◽

Curriculum Development ◽

Continuous Quality Improvement ◽

The United States ◽

Quality Improvement Process ◽

Engineering Program ◽

Continuous Quality ◽

The Cost ◽

Practical Recommendations

Abstract The paper addresses the benefits from accreditation of an Engineering program. The criteria for accreditation are also being discussed as well as the cost of domestic and outside of the United States (US) accreditation. The paper also contains procedures for curriculum development as well as evaluation and assessment. Implementation of a comprehensive continuous quality improvement process (CQI) for individual courses as well as the entire Engineering program is being discussed and analyzed. The conclusions include practical recommendations for the effective closing of the CQI loop.

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Implementation of the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa Stepwise Laboratory Quality Improvement Process Towards Accreditation

African Journal of Laboratory Medicine ◽

10.4102/ajlm.v5i1.280 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Jean-Bosco Ndihokubwayo ◽

Talkmore Maruta ◽

Nqobile Ndlovu ◽

Sikhulile Moyo ◽

Ali Ahmed Yahaya ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Improvement ◽

World Health Organization ◽

Continuous Quality Improvement ◽

World Health ◽

Regional Office ◽

Quality Improvement Process ◽

Continuous Quality ◽

The World ◽

Health Organization ◽

World Health Organization Regional

Background: The increase in disease burden has continued to weigh upon health systems in Africa. The role of the laboratory has become increasingly critical in the improvement of health for diagnosis, management and treatment of diseases. In response, the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO) and its partners created the WHO AFRO Stepwise Laboratory (Quality) Improvement Process Towards Accreditation (SLIPTA) program.SLIPTA implementation process: WHO AFRO defined a governance structure with roles and responsibilities for six main stakeholders. Laboratories were evaluated by auditors trained and certified by the African Society for Laboratory Medicine. Laboratory performance was measured using the WHO AFRO SLIPTA scoring checklist and recognition certificates rated with 1–5 stars were issued.Preliminary results: By March 2015, 27 of the 47 (57%) WHO AFRO member states had appointed a SLIPTA focal point and 14 Ministers of Health had endorsed SLIPTA as the desired programme for continuous quality improvement. Ninety-eight auditors from 17 African countries, competent in the Portuguese (3), French (12) and English (83) languages, were trained and certified. The mean score for the 159 laboratories audited between May 2013 and March 2015 was 69% (median 70%; SD 11.5; interquartile range 62–77). Of these audited laboratories, 70% achieved 55% compliance or higher (2 or more stars) and 1% scored at least 95% (5 stars). The lowest scoring sections of the WHO AFRO SLIPTA checklist were sections 6 (Internal Audit) and 10 (Corrective Action), which both had mean scores below 50%.Conclusion: The WHO AFRO SLIPTA is a process that countries with limited resources can adopt for effective implementation of quality management systems. Political commitment, ownership and investment in continuous quality improvement are integral components of the process.

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