Quality Improvement Skills

Course Directors:
Nasim Afsarmanesh, MD
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center

Kevin O'Leary, MD, FHM
Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation

Course Overview:
Are you charged with improving the performance of your hospital? Do you want to know the most effective methodology for creating change? Then this QI pre-course is for you. It is designed to provide hospitalists with the necessary tools and methodologies to innovate and lead QI efforts in their groups and institutions. The course highlights the Hospital Quality and Patient Safety Core Competencies, in an interactive format which emphasizes application of tools and skills to ensure a successful QI initiative. Attendees will engage with experienced faculty and participate in exercises illustrating successful QI projects, including an in-depth application of QI principles to a Transitions-of-Care project.

Objectives:
Upon completion of the SHM QI Pre-course, the attendee will be able to:

• Explain principles of quality measurement and interests of key stakeholders.
• Motivate change and effectively lead an improvement team.
• Use analytical and measurement tools in evaluating the results of QI initiatives, including pareto charts and run/control charts.