Instructions:
- Selecting the Area of Improvement:
- Choose an aspect of patient care or a healthcare delivery process within your organization that requires improvement. Examples include medication reconciliation, hand hygiene compliance, discharge planning, infection control practices, or patient communication.
- Project Proposal Development:
- Objectives: Clearly define the objectives of your quality improvement project. What specific outcomes do you aim to achieve through this initiative? Ensure that your objectives are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound). (See: https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/nc-smart-goals-fact-sheet.pdf
- Links to an external site.
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- Methodology: Describe the methodology you will use to implement the quality improvement initiative. This may include Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles, Lean Six Sigma principles, or other quality improvement frameworks.
- Timeline: Develop a realistic timeline outlining the key milestones and activities involved in implementing the project. Include timelines (e.g., gantt chart, or similar table) for data collection, analysis, intervention implementation, and evaluation.
- Resources Required: Identify the resources needed to support the project, including personnel, equipment, technology, training materials, and financial resources.
- Expected Outcomes: Outline the expected outcomes of the quality improvement project. What specific improvements do you anticipate in patient care or healthcare delivery as a result of implementing this initiative?
- Monitoring and Evaluation Strategies:
- Monitoring: Describe how you will monitor the progress of the quality improvement project. Identify key performance indicators (KPIs) or metrics that will be used to track improvements and ensure that the project stays on track.
- Evaluation: Develop a plan for evaluating the effectiveness of the quality improvement initiative. How will you measure the impact of the project on patient outcomes, process efficiency, and staff satisfaction? Include strategies for collecting and analyzing data to assess the project’s success.