Scholarship, teaching practice and educational responsibility: Issues in designing and implementing a quality improvement and evidence-based practice module in the undergraduate curriculum

Abstract

As part of a review of the undergraduate medical curriculum at King's College London, a module preparing students to undertake a quality improvement project (QIP) was developed. Using an illuminative evaluation method, the successes and challenges of the module were identified. The student experience lay along a continuum. At one end, QIPs enabled some significant improvements within trusts and primary care. Projects were presented in their clinical settings and at national and international conferences, and were published. At the other end of the continuum, students struggled to find an actionable project or have early and regular communication with their supervisors. Poor implementation of the module created challenges. These included misunderstanding of module requirements by students and supervisors, lack of clarity about what a feasible undergraduate project comprised and logistical problems when students moved from their QIP site to their next rotation. Travel back to the QIP site to complete projects involved missing scheduled teaching in their current rotation. Supervisors were unsure how to assess group projects. Key successes included students feeling better prepared to undertake QIPs, students developing a better understanding of the dynamics of clinical settings and teams, and how to manage these to progress projects.