Quality Improvement Curriculum Research Articles

An interprofessional postgraduate quality improvement curriculum: results and lessons learned over a 5-year implementation

ABSTRACT Problem Quality Improvement (QI) is interprofessional by nature; however, most academic QI programs occur in silos and do not leverage the opportunity to bring interprofessional learners together. Intervention To evaluate QI competencies of physician, nursing, pharmacy, behavioral health, and social work residents after participating in a longitudinal QI curriculum. Lessons learned are shared to guide educators in developing QI curriculum for interprofessional learners. Context Cohorts of graduate students over 5 years participated in a QI curriculum that aligned with each professions’ core quality competencies. Residents engaged in didactics and experiential learning in primary care clinics. Impact All learners (N = 74) demonstrated improvement in QI knowledge measured by the QIKAT-R and applied their skills demonstrated by completion of a QI project presented at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement annual forums. Participation in QI curriculum resulted in knowledge and skill improvement. Lessons learned An experiential QI curriculum is a natural place to bring diverse post-graduate learners together to improve QI knowledge and skills. Successful QI curriculum goals are to (a) align projects with institutional and stakeholder goals, (b) include coaches to promote teamwork and project management, (c) narrow project scope, (d) develop an improvement mindset that failures are learning opportunities, and (e) address needs for data access.

Development of a Train-the-Trainer Quality Improvement Curriculum.

Quality improvement (QI) curricula are required for clinical disciplines at all training levels. Despite this, faculty educators often feel inadequately prepared to perform QI functions and thus lack the skills necessary to teach QI to learners. We aimed to improve faculty QI skills so they could oversee didactic curricula and experiential QI projects. We developed a train-the-trainer curriculum for faculty within medicine, nursing, and allied health that was delivered as a 2-hour interactive workshop. Core concepts included QI methodologies, measurement, implementation, and scholarship. Prior to the workshop, attendees completed a baseline knowledge test and a self-assessment of their confidence in teaching QI. Both assessments were repeated 1 month and 6 months postworkshop. Participants also completed a course evaluation. We report on our experience after two workshops with 23 participants total. Baseline median knowledge test percentage correct was 36%. This increased to 77% at 1 month and remained at 57% at 6 months. Self-assessment ratings of QI teaching skills increased consistently from baseline to 1 month to 6 months, with all respondents reporting feeling some confidence or very confident by the end of the study period. The course overall was rated very good or excellent by 91% of attendees. A focused QI train-the-trainer curriculum can sustainably improve faculty knowledge and self-ratings of QI teaching skills. Participants rated the interactive 2-hour workshop highly. Its materials can be easily adapted across disciplines and clinical departments to increase the number of faculty competent to facilitate didactic and experiential QI training.

Development, implementation and evaluation of a novel quality improvement and patient safety curriculum in an emergency medicine residency training program.

Proficiency in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (QIPS) methodologies has been identified as a standard of residency training. However, there is no consensus on how to achieve these competencies. We used Kern's model of curricular development to create a QIPS curriculum for the local Emergency Medicine (EM) residency training program. The curriculum was designed following best practice recommendations for QIPS education and took the form of a 10-h educational experience including two in-person live sessions. The curriculum was delivered to a mix of local transition to practice residents and faculty members. Participants reported favorable outcomes and objectively demonstrated QIPS knowledge acquisition. This curriculum serves as a model that could be adapted by other residency training programs seeking to implement their own QIPS curricula.

Integrating Quality Improvement Curriculum and Group Projects: A Neurology Resident-Guided Initiative (P4-7.006)

Integrating Quality Improvement Curriculum and Group Projects: A Neurology Resident-Guided Initiative (P4-7.006)

A graduate medical education (GME) quality improvement curriculum leads to improved knowledge and participation in high quality improvement projects by trainees

BackgroundThere is increased awareness about the need for quality improvement (QI) education for trainees within clinical training programs. However, formal integration of a QI curriculum into graduate medical education (GME) remains a work-in-progress. We describe the creation and implementation of a novel, virtual QI curriculum complemented by virtual-based workshops. ObjectiveTo determine the impact of a GME QI curriculum on 1) trainee QI knowledge; 2) Quality of QI projects. MethodsThe GME Quality Improvement curriculum was transitioned to an optional formal curriculum in 2020. It is led by three faculty with expertise in QI training and education. The team developed four, web-based learning modules that focused on fundamental QI concepts. These modules are completed monthly and are paired with virtual workshops that facilitate applying learned QI concepts to project development.We evaluated the effectiveness of the curriculum by assessing participants’ performance on knowledge-based quizzes before and after each online module. We used IBM SPSS (version 28), to conduct a two-sided paired samples t-test, comparing each post-session test scores with their corresponding pre-session scores. The alpha, or statistical threshold significance threshold, was 0.05.Additionally, two independent judges with expertise in QI evaluated the quality of the projects presented at the annual QI showcase using a standardized scoring rubric. The poster evaluation forms included 8 questions, rated on a scale from 1 to 5. Projects were graded into 4 quartiles (poor, fair, good, excellent). ResultsIn the knowledge assessment quiz, the difference between the mean pre- and post-session quiz scores was statistically significant (p < 0.01). The average score of the quality of the projects presented at the annual showcase was 31, in the fourth quartile which was graded as “excellent” quality. ConclusionA GME-led QI curriculum was effective in improving knowledge of QI concepts and producing high-quality scholarly projects.

Charting new waters: Navigating Resident Quality Improvement Curriculum Using Documentation Review

Charting new waters: Navigating Resident Quality Improvement Curriculum Using Documentation Review

Improving patient safety through mandatory quality improvement (QI) education in a family medicine residency programme

Although the American College of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requires that medical trainees acquire competencies in patient safety and quality improvement (QI), no standard curriculum exists. We envisaged that a...

From Theory to Practice: Development and Evaluation of a Quality Improvement Curriculum for Psychiatry Residents.

Quality improvement (QI) is a systematic approach used to analyze and address problems in healthcare. Evidence of its success has led some national regulatory bodies to require QI education in residency training programs. However, limited work to date has demonstrated how residency programs can integrate best practices in QI education to design their own curriculum. This study describes the implementation and evaluation of a new QI curriculum, grounded in a theoretical model of how QI education works, for Canadian psychiatry residents. PGY-2 and PGY-4 psychiatry residents received a 2.5-h mixed didactic and simulation-based QI workshop as a part of the 2021-2022 academic curriculum. Their knowledge and attitudes toward QI were assessed using the QI Knowledge Application Tool Revised (QIKAT-R) and the Beliefs and Attitudes subscale of the Beliefs, Attitudes, Skills, and Confidence in QI (BASiC-QI). Eleven of 12 residents (92%) who completed the curriculum participated in the study. Average QIKAT-R scores improved from 4.45 to 7.00. Average BASiC-QI Beliefs and Attitudes subscale scores increased by 5.55 points. Residents reported enjoying QI and an increased desire to participate in future QI projects. This study demonstrates how a programme theory of QI education can be used to develop an effective, locally-tailored curriculum. This approach can be replicated by other educators to develop or improve QI curricula.

Quality Improvement Curriculum for Intensive Care Unit Upgrades.

Patients admitted to the hospital ward from the emergency department (ED) occasionally decompensate and require transfer to the intensive care unit (ICU). An emergency medicine (EM) curriculum focused on review of these ICU upgrade cases could improve resident knowledge related to patient acuity, critical illness, and appropriate disposition. Furthermore, initial identification of critical pathology in the ED and earlier admission to the ICU could reduce delays in care and improve patient outcomes. We performed a retrospective analysis to determine the effectiveness of a resident quality improvement curriculum evaluating cases where patients require transfer from the inpatient floor to the ICU within 12 hours of admission from the ED. We compared postgraduate year 2 (PGY-2) EM residents who participated in the ICU upgrades curriculum during their first year to PGY-2 EM residents who did not participate in the curriculum. Analysis of the 242 qualifying ICU upgrade cases from July 2019-October 2021 showed post-curriculum residents were responsible for an average of 1.0 upgrades per resident compared to an average of 1.54 upgrades per resident (P = 0.12) for pre-curriculum residents. Although there was no statistically significant difference in ICU upgrades between the groups, there was a trend toward decreased ICU upgrade cases for residents who participated in the curriculum. Common reasons for ICU upgrade included worsening respiratory distress requiring higher level of respiratory support, recurrent hypotension after initial intravenous fluid resuscitation requiring vasopressor support, and declining mental status. This retrospective study showed no significant difference in the number of ICU upgrades for residents who completed the ICU upgrades curriculum compared to residents who were not enrolled in the course. However, the study was likely underpowered to detect a significant difference in the groups, and there was a trend toward reduced ICU upgrades for residents who completed the curriculum. ICU upgrade cases were frequently associated with worsening respiratory status, hypotension, and mental status. These findings highlight the importance of reassessment of vital signs and mental status prior to determining disposition from the ED. Additional, larger studies are needed to better determine the curriculum's impact on resident proficiency in recognizing critical illness and reducing ICU upgrades.

Efficacy of a Longitudinal Project-Based Quality Improvement Curriculum in Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship

Efficacy of a Longitudinal Project-Based Quality Improvement Curriculum in Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship

Kolb Meets Quality: Applying Learning Theory to a Process Improvement and Safety Curriculum.

The healthcare landscape is changing, and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education has recognized the importance of training our physician workforce to demonstrate competency in quality, safety, and process improvement. In the renewal of our quality improvement and patient safety curriculum, we set out to create an impactful and relevant course of study using adult learning theories as a scaffold to design the curriculum and inform our teaching methods. In this Perspective, we describe a few key learning theories and demonstrate how we have used them in the teaching of quality improvement and patient safety concepts. Our intent was to create a curriculum that could equip the next generation of physicians with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they will need to adapt to the changes they face in practice and improve their work environments.

A theoretical and practical approach to quality improvement education

Quality Improvement (QI) knowledge and skills are required at all levels of physician training. System improvement efforts need to include understanding of health disparities and design of interventions to reduce those disparities, thus health equity needs to be integrated into QI education. Payors, accreditation bodies and health systems’ emphases on QI result in the need for QI curricula that meet the needs of diverse learners. This article presents a theoretical background and practical tools for designing, implementing, and evaluating a QI educational program across the spectrum of physician training with an emphasis on competency-based education and a goal of continuous practice improvement. Practice-based learning and improvement and systems-based practice are two core domains of competencies for readiness to practice. These competencies can be met through the health systems science framework for studying improvement in patient care and health care delivery coupled with QI science. Curricula should incorporate interactive learning of theory and principles of QI as well as mentored, experiential QI project work with multidisciplinary teams. QI projects often develop ideas and implement changes but are often inconsistent in studying intervention impacts or reaching the level of patient outcomes. Curriculum design should incorporate adult learning principles, competency based medical education, environmental and audience factors, and formats for content delivery. Key QI topics and how they fit into the clinical environment and teaching resources are provided, as well as options for faculty development. Approaches to evaluation are presented, along with tools for assessing learner's beliefs and attitudes, knowledge and application of QI principles, project evaluation, competency and curriculum evaluation. If the goal is to empower the next generation of change agents, there remains a need for development of scientific methodology and scholarly work, as well as faculty development and support by institutions.

Building Resident Quality Improvement Knowledge and Engagement Through a Longitudinal, Mentored, and Experiential Learning-Based Quality Improvement Curriculum.

Quality improvement (QI) training is an essential component of resident medical education and a part of the ACGME core competencies. We present our residency's evidence-based QI curriculum, which outlines key components identified in the literature for successful QI education. Our curriculum included a mandatory five-part longitudinal educational series during ambulatory education sessions for second-year residents. Modeled after the Institute for Healthcare Improvement model for improvement and taught by a chief resident, our curriculum introduced residents to key QI concepts through case-based, just-in-time didactics and applied experiential learning via concurrent resident-led longitudinal QI projects. Residents received structured, multilayer mentorship from a faculty mentor in their field of interest and the chief resident of quality and patient safety. Their work-in-progress projects were presented to faculty QI experts and institutional leadership for additional feedback and mentorship. Since 2016, a total of 234 internal medicine residents have completed our QI curriculum and developed 67 QI projects, which have been presented at various local, regional, and national conferences. In the 2 most recent academic years, Quality Improvement Knowledge Application Tool Revised (QIKAT-R) scores significantly increased from 4.6 precurriculum to 6.3 postcurriculum (p < .001). A longitudinal, experiential, and mentored QI curriculum teaches residents QI skill sets through incorporating mechanisms associated with successful educational initiatives and adult learning theory. Our QIKAT-R results and project output show that our curriculum is associated with improved trainee QI knowledge and systems-level improvements.

A Novel Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Curriculum for Emergency Medicine Residents

Quality improvement training during residency is a crucial component of post-graduate medical education and is one of the Association of American Medical Colleges Cross-Continuum Competencies and the six Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education domains of clinical competency. No national standard curriculum exists when it comes to training emergency medicine residents. A novel residency-focused QI curriculum was implemented to help emergency medicine residents develop foundational skills in QI and to translate these skills into practical projects that span multiple disciplines. The curriculum was effective, is readily adaptable to the resident physician and medical student levels, and supports the national trend toward implementing education in QI earlier in physician training.

Implementation and evaluation of an elective quality improvement curriculum for preclinical students: a prospective controlled study

BackgroundQuality improvement (QI) is a systematic approach to improving healthcare delivery with applications across all fields of medicine. However, exposure to QI is minimal in early medical education. We evaluated the effectiveness of an elective QI curriculum in teaching preclinical health professional students foundational QI concepts.MethodsThis prospective controlled cohort study was conducted at a single academic institution. The elective QI curriculum consisted of web-based video didactics and exercises, supplemented with in-person classroom discussions. An optional hospital-based QI project was offered. Assessments included pre- and post-intervention surveys evaluating QI skills and beliefs and attitudes, quizzes, and Quality Improvement Knowledge Application Tool-Revised (QIKAT-R) cases. Within-group pre-post and between-group comparisons were performed using descriptive statistics.ResultsOverall, 57 preclinical medical or physician assistant students participated under the QI curriculum group (N = 27) or control group (N = 30). Twenty-three (85%) curriculum students completed a QI project. Mean quiz scores were significantly improved in the curriculum group from pre- to post-assessment (Quiz 1: 2.0, P < 0.001; Quiz 2: 1.7, P = 0.002), and the mean differences significantly differed from those in the control group (Quiz 1: P < 0.001; Quiz 2: P = 0.010). QIKAT-R scores also significantly differed among the curriculum group versus controls (P = 0.012). In the curriculum group, students had improvements in their confidence with all 10 QI skills assessed, including 8 that were significantly improved from pre- to post-assessment, and 4 with significant between-group differences compared with controls. Students in both groups agreed that their medical education would be incomplete without a QI component and that they are likely to be involved in QI projects throughout their medical training and practice.ConclusionsThe elective QI curriculum was effective in guiding preclinical students to develop their QI knowledge base and skillset. Preclinical students value QI as an integral component of their medical training. Future directions involve evaluating the impact of this curriculum on clinical clerkship performance and across other academic institutions.

A General Surgery Resident Active Learning Curriculum for Quality Education

INTRODUCTION: Formal resident education regarding quality improvement (QI) and process improvement (PI) is limited in general surgery, nationwide. Development and delivery of an active learning QI curriculum increased general surgery resident education and participation in quality initiatives. METHODS: A total of 60 general surgery residents participated in monthly active learning lecture and workshop sessions. Sessions progressed through the selection and completion of a PI project, including scope, key stakeholder buy-in, data collection, process mapping, implementation, standardization, and auditing. A focused framework based on an adapted Lean methodology for healthcare QI was used. RESULTS: Before curriculum development, no active QI learning was integrated into the educational curriculum and 1 of 60 residents were engaged in scholarly activity related to PI. Project ideas derived from resident workflow hardships contributing to burnout and resident dissatisfaction. Next, residents were divided into 4 implementation teams, each tasked with completing components of the project, including preliminary data, stakeholder discussions, process mapping, and implementation. Monthly group sessions discussed completed tasks. Engagement in process improvement education yielded all residents participating in at least 1 QI project, and 13% of residents engaged in a second QI initiative. Overall, residents initiated 6 QI projects across 2 institutions during the process of the QI curriculum (Table). Table. - Curriculum Sessions and Objectives Session number Topic Workshop activity 1 Identify Opportunity Focus groups Root cause analysis 2 Process Selection Project scope Stakeholder engagement Preliminary data 3 Process Mapping Process map current and ideal workflows 4 Intervention Ideate interventions Implementation plan 5 Barriers Overcoming barriers 6 Data Collection Metrics Data analysis 7 Standardization and Auditing Internal standardization Audit sheet creation Identify auditing frequency 8 Continuous Improvement Identify opportunities for further improvement CONCLUSION: An active, ongoing learning curriculum model for QI education is an effective methodology for designing and engaging surgery residents in QI initiatives. Additionally, this model provides residents with the necessary tools to identify and change areas in need of improvement in their daily work.

The Evolving Curriculum in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety in Undergraduate and Graduate Medical Education: A Scoping Review.

Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (QIPS) has become an increasingly important area of focus within undergraduate and graduate medical education. A variety of different QIPS curriculums have been developed, but standardization and effectiveness of these curriculums is largely unknown. The authors conducted a scoping review to explore the status of undergraduate and graduate nondegree QIPS curriculum in the United States. A scoping review was performed using The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) model as a guide. Two databases were screened from January 2019 to March 2022 to identify relevant articles. Forty-seven articles met eligibility criteria, with most articles (n = 38) focused on graduate medical education. Of those 38, 86.8% (33/38) were developed as curriculum specific to a particular specialty. The article highlights similarities and differences in structure, evaluation metrics, and outcomes, and subsequently offers insight into curriculum components that should help guide standardization of successful curriculum development moving forward.

Implementation of a longitudinal quality improvement curriculum for hematology/oncology fellows.

315 Background: Quality improvement (QI) is an integral part of healthcare systems and an essential skill for trainees to develop. Education and engagement in QI activities is an ACGME core competency for GME trainees regardless of program or post-graduate year (PGY). There are many ways in which these competencies may be fulfilled and often vary widely between programs and institutions. Here we present the implementation of a longitudinal QI curriculum for hematology/oncology fellows at our institution. Methods: In July 2020 we implemented a 3-year longitudinal QI curriculum to meet criteria set forth by ACGME regarding QI training to improve fellow engagement in QI activities. The curriculum consists of 3 components: 1) introductory lectures on QI concepts and methodology including PDSA cycle and Lean Six Sigma, 2) monthly morbidity &amp; mortality conferences utilizing root cause analysis to identify opportunities for improvement, and 3) fellow-initiated QI projects with regular feedback sessions. Fellows are encouraged to participate in ASCO’s Quality Training Program (QTP) for further project development. A senior QI fellow is appointed to organize didactics and oversee project development. Milestones are set per training year. PGY1 fellows participate in didactics and feedback sessions to gain understanding of QI methodology and application to ongoing and future projects. PGY2 fellows develop and implement a project utilizing core QI principles. PGY3 fellows complete their longitudinal QI project, culminating in presentation and conference submission. At the conclusion of the curriculum, fellows are expected to achieve competency in 1) identifying clinical and institutional opportunities for QI, 2) understanding and applying QI concepts and methodology to project development, and 3) designing and implementing a QI project utilizing core concepts and methodology. Pre- and post-curriculum self-assessments will be used to evaluate knowledge of QI principles. Results: Since implementation fellows have actively participated in all components of the QI curriculum resulting in improved fellow satisfaction in QI education and engagement. Four fellow-initiated QI projects have been developed, resulting in 1 participation in ASCO QTP, 3 presentations at departmental grand rounds, and 3 abstract presentations at national meetings including ASH Annual Meeting, ASCO Annual Meeting, and ASCO Quality Symposium. Two projects have been completed, leading to interventions that have been implemented into routine practice at our institution. Conclusions: Implementation of a longitudinal QI curriculum at our institution has resulted in improved fellow experience in QI and successful implementation and presentation of QI projects at both the local and national levels. This curriculum has been well received by both fellows and faculty and has led to improved engagement in QI education and practices.

Using QI Methodology to Improve a Program's QI Curriculum: An Educational Improvement Project.

We utilized The Model for Improvement and sequential PDSA cycles, testing curricular components for improvement. Measures were analyzed annually (2014-2020). The curriculum includes modules and didactic workshops for foundational knowledge, rapid personal improvement projects for putting knowledge into practice, and experiential learning through developing and leading QI projects. Graduating residents reporting proficiency in practicing QI principles increased from 4 (44%) to 11 (100%). The average QI Knowledge Application Tool-Revised score increased from 50% to 94% (95% CI, 37-51). Resident QI projects completing at least 2 PDSA cycles increased from 30% (n = 3) to 100% (n = 4), P = 0.0005, while projects achieving improvement increased from 40% (n = 4) to 100% (n = 3), P = 0.002. Patients were also positively impacted, with 63% (n = 3) of clinical QI projects that measured patient-centered outcomes achieving improvement and 69% (n = 11) of clinical QI projects improving clinical processes. This study developed a curriculum that successfully prepares residents to practice QI principles and lead multidisciplinary QI projects while demonstrating patient impact and behavior change. It offers an example of curriculum development and evaluation aided by QI science.

Not Yet Safe Enough: Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Curriculum.

Not Yet Safe Enough: Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Curriculum.