Hospitals in pursuit of excellence

QI Training

Implementing quality improvement projects can improve patient safety and reduce inefficiency. But what are the best strategies for successfully launching and sustaining QI projects? An initiative at Emory Healthcare in Atlanta provides evidence that implementing a ?broad-based in-house QI training program for multidisciplinary staff? can improve knowledge and help sustain QI project implementation, according to Kimberly Rask, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor, Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. At five Emory hospitals, a two-day training program, ?Leadership for Healthcare Improvement,? was offered to leadership, and a four-month program, ?Practical Methods for Healthcare Improvement,? was offered to front-line staff and middle managers. In 2008 and 2009, more than 600 employees completed one of the programs. Participants completed pre- and post-course QI knowledge tests or were interviewed. According to these assessments, leadership participants ?significantly improved their knowledge in all content areas,? and all other staff participants ?were able to initiate and implement QI projects.? One year after the program, a majority of projects had been sustained. The long-term impact on patient outcomes is being evaluated. For more information, contact Dr. Rask at krask@emory.edu , Richard Gitomer, M.D., chief quality officer, at rgitome@emory.edu or Nathan Spell, M.D., chief quality officer, at nspell@emory.edu.