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October 2024 - Clinic Quality Improvement

Quality improvement (QI) interventions have enormous potential to improve healthcare delivery. In this webinar we discuss how to develop effective and sustainable QI interventions. 

Session Summary

Session Hosts: Janet Ogbeide, President, Alberta Association of Clinic Managers (AACM), Krishna Kasireddy, Consultant, Alberta Medical Association (AMA-ACTT). 

Guest Presenters: Dr. Joseph Ojedokun, Kristin Machuk, Clinic Manager (Life Medical Clinic), and Lacey Smoole, Practice Facilitator (Mcleod River Primary Care Network).

 

Recommended Resources

 

Session Highlights & Themes

 

Session Objectives: 

  • Understand the Fundamentals of Quality Improvement (QI): to grasp the basic principles and methodologies of QI in healthcare
  • Have the knowledge to start the steps to QI: including the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle, Sequence To Achieve Change (STAC)
  • Identify Opportunities for Improvement: to recognize areas within clinical operations that can benefit from QI interventions
  • Tools & Resources: to support QI processes in your clinic setting

Key Takeaways

  • Good practices can degrade or become outdated over time.
  • QI must be systematic and intentional to identify gaps and improve processes.
  • QI Models such as Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA), Six Sigma, Lean Methodology and Root Cause Analysis provide clear, step-by-step framework that guides teams through identifying problems, planning solutions, implementing solutions, and assessing outcomes. These structured approaches provide consistency which improves the chances of success and allows for better comparison of results across different scenarios.
  • Successful QI initiatives rely on involving the whole team to ensure sustainability.
  • It is important to be intentional about cultivating a QI culture or mindset focused on continuous improvement in clinics, where every team member plays a role in identifying gaps and working toward better care

Potential Areas for Improvement

Identifying areas for improvement is the first and most critical step toward achieving better outcomes. This involves examining current practices, gathering data, and actively seeking out gaps or inefficiencies in care delivery. By recognizing these opportunities, we can strategically target changes that not only resolve immediate issues but also create long-term, sustainable improvements. Whether through patient feedback, staff input, or performance metrics, the goal is to uncover areas where we can elevate the quality of service and ensure a higher standard of care. Examples of areas you can explore include:

  • Policy - Decisions, goals and actions needed
    • No-show
    • Booking
    • Medication refills
    • Recalls
    • Critical results
    • Feedback (staff, patients)
  • Resources – Materials and staffing required
    • HR - doctors, nurses: hiring, termination, leaves, complaint procedures
    • Diagnostic tools and equipment: recalibration, autoclave
    • Medications: samples, restocking
    • Screening tools: FIT kits
  • Process – How to execute
    • Access
    • Attachment
    • Continuity of care
    • Team-based care
    • Near misses
    • New patient intake
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