Quality improvement in practice—part 1: creating learning systems

Abstract

Applying quality improvement methods to solve complex quality issues involves people deeply. People discover solutions, test and adapt ideas, thereby giving them autonomy and control over the system in which they work. Focusing quality improvement on what matters most for staff and service users creates the opportunity to bring a deeper sense of meaning and connection to purpose, both of which are integral to joy in work. When applying quality improvement at scale within large organisations or systems, bringing teams together in learning systems can provide a critical structure to build skills, collaborate and learn from one another. This article describes the core elements of learning systems designed to support quality improvement and joy in work, illustrated through two examples. The framework can be applied at different levels of a system, including the individual, the team and the organisation, or even to a large improvement effort across organisational boundaries. The next article in this series will discuss the application of the joy in work framework to healthcare settings.