Do you need to learn the down-to-earth essentials of quality improvement?

Are you interested in learning about the practical aspects of quality improvement, but have limited time, bandwidth, or resources?

  • Project Flow

    Get a feel for the practical steps and sub-steps in a quality improvement project, including defining & understanding a QI problem, and designing & refining targeted solutions.

  • Tools

    Acquire familiarity with the use of common quality improvement tools and the role each one plays in the project as a whole.

  • Language

    Become versed in the language of quality improvement.

The most bang for your buck/time/attention

We've distilled our intense live program into a 100% online self-guided experience.

  • Five hours of carefully distilled practical video content

  • Fully self-guided experience that can be taken at your convenience

  • Tools and templates to move you smoothly through the QI project process

  • Quizzes to reinforce your learning

  • Activities to facilitate application of concepts directly to a project

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Module 1: Properly Framing Your Quality Improvement Problem

    • Welcome

    • Program Overview: How to Use These Videos

    • Why Improve Quality?

    • Milestone #1: The Project Proposal

    • Quality Improvement vs. Conventional Research

    • Independent Learning Module: Introduction to Quality Improvement

    • Choosing A Quality Improvement Project

    • Defining A Quality Improvement Problem

    • Constructing an AIM Statement

    • The Data Dictionary

    • Project Proposal Template

    • The Project Charter

    • Conclusion

    • Quiz A: QI Topic Candidates (Problem Definitions)

    • Quiz B: Overview, Topic Selection & Problem Definition

    • Activity: Project Selection

    • Activity: Data Dictionary

    • Activity: Project Proposal

    • Module 1 Feedback & Evaluation

    • Module 1 Coaching Call (Limited Time Offer)
  • 2

    Module 2: Setting an Improvement Goal

    • Milestone #2: Baseline Data Collection

    • Starting With the End in Mind

    • Planning a Baseline Data Collection

    • The Project Narrative

    • Planning to Demonstrate Improvement: The "Power Calculation"

    • Ethics and Quality Improvement

    • Conclusion

    • Module 2 Quiz

    • Activity: AIM Statement

    • Activity: Problem/Gap/Hook

    • Activity: Projected SPC Chart

    • Module 2 Feedback & Evaluation
  • 3

    Module 3: Understanding Your Care Gap - Root Cause Analysis 1 (Speculation)

    • Milestone #3: A Comprehensive List of Potential Contributing Factors

    • Stakeholder Engagement & Communication Strategy

    • Tool: Stakeholder Interviews

    • Tool: Cause and Effect Diagram

    • Tool: Five Whys

    • Tool: Process Map

    • Tool: Data Drill Down

    • Tool: Looking for Deviation

    • Conclusion

    • Module 3 Quiz

    • Activity: Stakeholder Analysis

    • Activity: Cause & Effect Diagram

    • Activity: Process Map

    • Module 3 Feedback & Evaluation
  • 4

    Module 4: Understanding Your Care Gap - Root Cause Analysis 2 (Confirming Speculation)

    • Milestone #4: Pareto Chart

    • Tool: Direct Observation/Time Study Observation

    • Tool: Literature Review

    • Tool: Pareto Chart

    • Creating A Pareto Chart in QI Macros

    • Conclusion

    • Module 4 Quiz

    • Activity: QI Literature Review

    • Activity: Pareto Chart

    • Module 4 Feedback & Evaluation
  • 5

    Module 5: Generating, Prioritizing, and Selecting Solutions

    • Milestone #5: Selection and Descriptions of Solutions

    • The Solutions Process, Mapping Onto Root Causes

    • Change Concepts versus Change Ideas

    • Generation Tool: Reverse Brainstorming

    • Generation Tool: Creative Combinations

    • Generation Tool: Human Factors

    • Generation Tool: Influencer

    • Generation Tool: Direct Observation

    • Prioritization Tool: PICK Chart

    • Prioritization Tool: Hierarchy of Effectiveness

    • Prioritization Tool: Golden Rules

    • Describing Your Chosen Solutions

    • Putting It All Together: The Driver Diagram

    • Conclusion

    • Module 5 Quiz

    • Activity: PICK Chart

    • Activity: Solution Mapping & Driver Diagram

    • Module 5 Feedback & Evaluation
  • 6

    Module 6: Implementing and Refining Solutions (Science of Improvement)

    • Milestone #6: Implementation Plan

    • Context

    • Family of Measures

    • Model for Improvement Overview

    • Plan

    • Do

    • Study

    • Act

    • Overview of Lean/Toyota Production System

    • Overview of Six Sigma

    • Conclusion

    • Module 6 Quiz

    • Activity: Context Analysis

    • Activity: Data Dictionary Part 2

    • Activity: PDSA Worksheet

    • Module 6 Feedback & Evaluation
  • 7

    Module 7: Demonstrating Improvement (Measurement)

    • Milestone #7: Run Chart or Statistical Process Control Chart

    • Pitfalls of Applying Conventional Statistics to QI

    • Run Charts

    • Tale of Three Clinics

    • Statistical Process Control Charts

    • Constructing an SPC Chart in QI Macros

    • Change Occurred: Possible Explanations

    • Change Did Not Occur: Possible Explanations

    • Conclusion

    • Module 7 Quiz

    • Activity: PDSA Worksheet Update

    • Activity: Run Chart

    • Activity: Statistical Process Control Chart

    • Activity: Statistical Process Control Chart Problem Set

    • Module 7 Feedback & Evaluation
  • 8

    Module 8: Sustaining and Spreading Improvement

    • Milestone #8: Sustainability Plan

    • Causes of Regression

    • Documentation Plan

    • Education and Training Plan

    • Monitoring Plan

    • Response Plan

    • Closeout Report

    • Poster Presentation

    • Publication

    • Conclusion

    • Module 8 Quiz

    • Activity: Sustainability Plan

    • Activity: QI Project Poster

    • Module 8 Feedback & Evaluation

Learning Outcomes & Objectives

  • Course Learning Outcomes

    1. Express a clinical care gap in the form of an AIM statement
    2. Design and execute a comprehensive root cause analysis
    3. Generate solutions and map them onto root causes
    4. Design a feasible implementation plan that accounts for local contextual factors
    5. Design and implement authentic Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles
    6. Design and execute a data collection strategy to rigorously demonstrate improvement over time
    7. Design and execute a sustainability plan including ongoing stakeholder engagement
    8. Avoid major pitfalls associated with QI projects

  • Module 1 Learning Objectives

    1. Differentiate quality improvement from research
    2. Apply a project selection framework to the proposed topic
    3. Define a primary outcome measure

  • Module 2 Learning Objectives

    1. Identify the role of ethics oversight in QI projects
    2. Craft a compelling narrative to influence stakeholders
    3. Construct an AIM statement

  • Module 3 Learning Objectives

    1. Design and execute an effective stakeholder engagement strategy
    2. Generate hypotheses explaining the care gap by using a variety of QI tools

  • Module 4 Learning Objectives

    1. Utilize the literature review as a hypothesis generation tool
    2. Validate hypotheses using the following tools: direct observation, Pareto analysis

  • Module 5 Learning Objectives

    1. Differentiate between a change concept and a change idea
    2. List tools/methods that are used in each of the two distinct phases of the solution selection process (generation and prioritization)
    3. Generate potential solutions that directly link to root causes
    4. List the hierarchy of effectiveness of interventions
    5. List general factors that contribute to the success or failure of solutions
    6. Evaluate viability of potential solutions

  • Module 6 Learning Objectives

    1. Perform a context analysis and identify potential opportunities & threats to implementation
    2. List & describe each category comprising the family of measures
    3. List the elements of the Model for Improvement
    4. Use the Plan-Do-Study-Act framework to plan for iterative tests of change

  • Module 7 Learning Objectives

    1. Describe the rationale for displaying data over time
    2. Construct a run chart
    3. Construct a statistical process control chart

  • Module 8 Learning Objectives

    1. Identify reasons why performance can regress to baseline
    2. Design a sustainability plan (documentation, education/training, monitoring, response)
    3. Extract and share project lessons beyond the project team

Course Designer

Course Director

Alan Gob

Dr Alan Gob is the Clinical Lead and Education Lead at the Centre for Quality, Innovation and Safety (CQUINS) and an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology at Western University. He undertook his undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto and completed his Medical Training at Western University. In 2013, he then went on to complete an MSc in Quality and Safety at the University of Toronto, and currently holds an Adjunct Professorial appointment in the Department of Graduate Studies Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto. As well as the science of Quality Improvement, Dr Gob’s interest also lies in providing education to others in QI and Patient Safety. He has developed a number of novel educational curricula designed for different participants and professions and is Director of the Quality and Safety Curriculum for the PGY4/5 trainees, with projects from this curriculum being presented locally and internationally. He was also the co-creator of an innovative model of co-learning between healthcare staff and business students, that is now in its 3rd year of delivery. He has been involved in a number of leadership roles within Quality Improvement over the last few years; guiding the implementation of a new patient education tool with regards Patient Oriented Discharge Summaries, implementing Choosing Wisely Canada recommendations to reduce unnecessary bloods testing, readmission reduction for patients with Congestive Heart Failure, implementing the CHF evidence-based guidelines. Dr Gob is an active advocate for promoting Quality Improvement both in and out of work and out of the formal educational environment, organizing journal clubs, the creator of a Quality and Safety YouTube channel and has a Quality and Safety website (www.theqigeek.com ). He is mentor to students and faculty alike and has presented QI work both nationally and internationally.

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