Quality improvement tools and processes

Catherine Y Lau

doi:10.1016/j.nec.2014.11.016

Quality improvement tools and processes

Neurosurg Clin N Am. 2015 Apr;26(2):177-87, viii. doi: 10.1016/j.nec.2014.11.016. Epub 2015 Jan 31.

Author

Catherine Y Lau¹

Affiliation

¹ Division of Hospital Medicine, Department of Medicine and Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Patient Safety and Quality, Department of Neurological Surgery, 533 Parnassus Avenue, Box 0131, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 25771273
DOI: 10.1016/j.nec.2014.11.016

Abstract

The Model for Improvement and the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle is a popular quality improvement (QI) tool for health care providers to successfully lead QI projects and redesign care processes. This tool has several distinct components that must be addressed in sequence to organize and critically evaluate improvement activities. Unlike other health sciences clinical research, QI projects and research are based on dynamic hypotheses that develop into observable, serial tests of change with continuous collection and feedback of performance data to stakeholders.

Keywords: Model for Improvement; Quality improvement; Quality improvement project management; Quality improvement tools.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Humans
Neurosurgical Procedures / standards*
Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care*
Quality Improvement*