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Quality Improvement Basics

Core Competencies
Slide Sets
Web Resources
SHM QI Training 

Core Competencies

The Core Competencies of Hospital Medicine define quality improvement as the process of continually evaluating existing processes of care and developing new standards of practice. QI is influenced by objective data and focuses on systems change, rather than individual performance, in order to optimize performance and appropriate resource utilization. Hospitalists may lead or participate in QI teams to optimize management of common inpatient conditions and improve clinical outcomes based on standardized evidence based practices. Hospitalists should use evidence based outcomes data whenever available to support their inpatient practices and QI initiatives.

Click here to see a chapter list specifically with improving healthcare systems. 

Learn more about the knowledge, skills, and attitudes hospitalists should have in regard to QI.

Slide Sets to Enhance Familiarity with Key QI Principles

QI Primer
This slide set will help you to understand the fundamental principles of quality improvement. You will also learn key steps for a successful quality improvement project and become familiar with several quality improvement tools.
View the QI Primer

Web Resources to Enhance Working Familiarity with Key QI Tools

The Institute for Healthcare Improvement has an excellent web site that reviews a model for improvement, as well as providing tools that you can actually download. While registration is needed to download the tools, this is a quick and free resource.
Find out more information on QI tools.

The American Society for Quality has an excellent, user-friendly site with overviews of the major quality improvement tools. Explore this section with particular attention to run charts, SPC charts, process flow diagrams, and FMEA. 
Find out more information about the sections on tools.

Intermountain Healthcare is a recognized leader in the performance improvement field, and integrating performance improvement with all of their key clinical endeavors. The Institute for Healthcare Delivery Research, led by Dr. Brent James, has a wealth of presentations and other information available at no charge.
Find out more information about Intermountain Healthcare.

Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement is a non-profit independent site dedicated to promoting collaborative quality improvement, based out of Minnesota and some surrounding states.
Find out more information about their quality improvement initiatives.