How to choose a QI topic

Not all quality improvement project ideas may be appropriate for trainees to implement as their very first project while still developing core competencies. Some problems may be more complex and difficult to resolve than others. This checklist may be used as a guide to assess whether the topic may or may not be appropriate.

Questions (Y/N)

• Can the problem be assessed, immediate improvements planned and implemented with at least 2 tests of change within 4-6 months?

• Can the project be achieved with the little spare time that is allocated for QI training? (8 hours per month in addition to teaching time).

• Is complexity of the problem and scale proportionate to the trainee’s current QI skills and abilities?

• Is the intervention/treatment performed frequently? High frequency usually means high impact and makes testing ideas/changes quicker and easier to measure.

• Is the topic focused on a targeted group of people and/or area? (1 clinical area vs. multiple)

• Is the trainee passionate about the topic?

• Will this ultimately improve patient care?

• Is there an indisputable need to make a change/improvement?

• Is the topic about improving the way the trainee’s current service is delivered rather than another department’s? (e.g. if the trainee works in the emergency department, is the topic about improving the work done in the emergency department?)

Reading material

• Doctors and quality improvement (pdf)

  • Purpose: Presents the big picture, why doctors need to develop QI skills.

• Quality improvement part 1: introduction and overview (pdf)

  • Purpose: Describes what quality improvement is, background about the field and examples of some methodologies.

• How to start a quality improvement project (pdf)

  • Purpose: An overview of the Model for Improvement methodology.

• Junior doctor-led quality improvement project to improve safety and visibility of an interspecialty referral system (pdf)

  • Purpose: Example of a published quality improvement project (BMJ, 2021).

• Quality improvement in nursing: Administrative mandate or professional responsibility? (pdf)

  • Purpose: Quality improvement from a nursing perspective.

• The SQUIRE (Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence) guidelines for quality improvement reporting: explanation and elaboration (pdf)

  • Purpose: Guidance and standards for reporting quality improvement work.

• Learning leadership skills in practice through quality improvement (pdf)

  • Purpose: To appreciate the broad range of skills that are developed during quality improvement training.

Training videos

QI tools and templates

• A3 project template (excel document)

• Fishbone analysis - Cause and Effect Diagram (pdf)

• PDSA tracker (word document)

• Run Chart Template

• Interpreting Run Charts

• More on Run Charts: Healthcare Improvement Scotland (pdf)

How to access data for your QI project

How to access data for your QI project (video)

Examples of quality improvements projects

• (Excel document) - Hulda Þorsteinsdóttir, Resident in gynaecology

• (Excel document) - Berglind Árnadóttir og Guðbjörg Erla Guðmundsdóttir, Residents in Internal Medicine

• - Hrafnhildur Gunnarsdóttir, Ívar Sævarsson og Jóhanna Rúnarsdóttir, Residents in Internal Medicine

• (Excel document) - Kristín Júlía Erlingsdóttir and Urður Jónsdóttir, Residents in paediatrics

• (Power Point document)

  - Gunnar Baldvin Björgvinsson, Resident in internal medicine

• (Excel document) - Hallfriður Kristinsdottir, Resident in Anaesthetics

• (Excel document) - Hildigunnur Þórsdóttir and Elín Óla Klemenzdóttir, Residents in Paediatrics

• (Excel document)- Hrafn Hlíðdal Þorvaldsson and Helga Þórunn Óttarsdóttir, Residents in Paediatrics

• (Excel documet) - Snædís Jónsdóttir, Postgraduate clinical nurse specialist trainee

• (Power Point document) - Ingibjörg Sigurðardóttir, Post-graduate trainee in clinical pharmacy

Glossary of quality improvement terminologies in Icelandic