NSQIP-Based Quality Improvement Curriculum for Surgical Residents

Background: General surgery training has historically lacked a standardized approach to resident quality improvement (QI) education aside from traditional morbidity and mortality conference. In 2013, the ACGME formalized QI as a component of residency training. Our residency chose the NSQIP Quality In-Training Initiative (QITI) as the foundation for our QI training. We hypothesized that a focused curriculum based on outcomes would produce change in culture and improve the quality of patient care.

Study design: Quality improvement curriculum design and implementation were retrospectively reviewed. Institutional NSQIP data pre-, during, and post-curriculum implementation were reviewed for improvement.

Results: A QITI project committee designed a 2-year curriculum, with 3 parts: didactics, focused on methods of data collection, QI processes, and techniques; review of current institutional performance, practice, and complication rates; and QI breakout groups tasked with creating "best practice" guidelines addressing common complications in our NSQIP semi-annual reports. Educational presentations were given to the surgical department addressing reduction of cardiac complications, pneumonia, surgical site infections (SSIs), and urinary tract infections (UTIs). Twenty-four residents completed both years of the QITI curriculum. National NSQIP decile ranks improved in known high outlier areas: cardiac complications, ninth to fourth decile; pneumonia, eighth to first decile; SSIs, tenth to second decile; and UTIs, eighth to third decile. Pneumonia and SSI rates demonstrated statistical improvement after curriculum implementation (p < 0.003).

Conclusions: Implementing a QITI curriculum with a full resident complement is feasible and can positively affect surgical morbidity and nationally benchmarked performance. Resident QI education is essential to future success in delivering high quality surgical care.