Quality Improvement
Quality Improvement in healthcare is not a project, it must be a primary function of every healthcare organization to continuously asses and improve its effectiveness and efficiency. We have developed this page of the QHN website to help our Members implement quality improvement methods, tools and techniques.
Over the years, QHN has had numerous local, national and international speakers present their quality improvement ideas to our Members. We hope you find the tools, examples from the field, and literature here within, as useful and exciting as we have.
If you have other quality improvement tools or a story to share, we would love to hear from you.
Tools
The following tools - templates, manuals and policies, have been recommended by our members, faculty or partners.
- Resar, Roger (MD). How to design reliable processes in Healthcare Moving to 10-2 . IHI. Presented at the QHN Spring Symposium 2007.
http://www.qhn.ca/pdfs/Symp2007IHI.pdf - Resar, Roger (MD). Designing Reliable Delivery of Optimal Care. IHI. Presented at the QHN Spring Symposium 2007.
http://www.qhn.ca/pdfs/Symp2007IHIpaper.pdf - Hunter, Linda and Clara Ballantine. The Collaborative Café to identify the principles and elements of an optimal safety plan. The Ottawa Hospital/ Ontario Node Safer Healthcare Now!. Presented at the Spring Symposium 2007.
http://www.qhn.ca/pdfs/Symp2007WorldCafe.pdf - Striking out Stroke. The Southwestern Regional Stroke Strategy. Presented at the QHN Open House The Integration Challenge: Coordinating Services Across the Continuum for Improved Care 2003.
http://www.qhn.ca/pdfs/London%20Presentation%201%20-%20Stroke%20Strategy.pdf - Harries, Bruce. Model for Improvement as a Predictive Tool. The Canadian Collaborative to Improve Patient Care and Safety in the ICU & co-founder, Improvement Associates. Presented at the QHN Fall Forum 2005.
http://www.qhn.ca/pdfs/ff05harriesmodelforimprovement.pdf - Harries, Bruce. Project Chartering: Old tools with a New Focus. The Canadian Collaborative to Improve Patient Care and Safety in the ICU & co-founder, Improvement Associates. Presented at the QHN Fall Forum 2005.
http://www.qhn.ca/pdfs/ff05BruceHarriesProjectChartering.pdf - MacDonald, Andrew. An introduction to Value Stream Mapping-Identifying Waste in your Processes. University Health Network. Presented at the QHN Fall Forum 2005.
http://www.qhn.ca/pdfs/ff05MacDonaldValueStreamMapping.pdf - Puterman, Martin (MD). Managing Health Care Operations. Centre for Operations Excellence, Sauder School of Business, UBC. Presented at the QHN Spring Forum 2005.
http://www.qhn.ca/pdfs/SF2005Puterman.pdf - Shohet, Linda (MD). Health Literacy: Definitions, Quality and Safety Issues. The Centre for Literacy of Quebec. Presented at QHN Spring Forum 2004.
http://www.qhn.ca/pdfs/LindaShohet.pdf - Clarke, Cathy and Suzanne Gard. The Power of Words: Limiting Risk: "Acting Out" Respect Mastering Interpersonal Skills. University Health Network. Presented at the QHN Fall Forum 2003.
http://www.qhn.ca/pdfs/focusmanagement.pdf - Caldwell, Chip. Six Sigma: The Senior Leader's Six Sigma: The Senior Leader's Role in Strategy Deployment Role in Strategy Deployment. Chip Caldwell and Associates. Presented at the QHN Fall Forum 2002.
http://www.qhn.ca/pdfs/Fall%20Forum%202002%20Chip%20Caldwell.pdf - Bright, Sherry. Translating Lean Production to Healthcare Improvement. Bright Strategies. Presented at the QHN Fall Forum 2002.
http://www.qhn.ca/pdfs/Fall%20Forum%202002%20sherrybright1.pdf - Bright, Sherry. Completing a Lead time Analysis: Targeting NVA Work. Bright Strategies. Presented at the QHN Fall Forum 2002.
http://www.qhn.ca/pdfs/Fall%20Forum%202002%20sherrybright2.pdf
Examples from the Field
The following Member presentations and stories demonstrate what can happen when these tools and evidence are put into practice.
- Aimone, Elaine. An interactive example about where to focus efforts to improve service and next steps. Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. Presented at the QHN Networking for Better Practices The Patient Experience in Rehabilitation: Beyond the Data 2004.
http://www.qhn.ca/pdfs/TorontoRehab.pdf - Striking out Stroke. The Southwestern Regional Stroke Strategy. Presented at the QHN Open House The Integration Challenge: Coordinating Services Across the Continuum for Improved Care 2003.
http://www.qhn.ca/pdfs/London%20Presentation%201%20-%20Stroke%20Strategy.pdf - Phelan, Liz and Harry Milne. Huron Perth Complex Chemotherapy Closer to Home Initiative. Presented at the QHN Open House The Integration Challenge: Coordinating Services Across the Continuum for Improved Care 2003.
http://www.qhn.ca/pdfs/London%20Presentation%203%20-%20Huron%20Perth.pdf - MacLean, Neil. The Southwestern Ontario Telehealth Network. Presented at the QHN Open House The Integration Challenge: Coordinating Services Across the Continuum for Improved Care 2003.
http://www.qhn.ca/pdfs/London%20Presentation%204%20-%20VideoCare.pdf - London Regional Cancer Centre. Improving LRCC's Patient Intake Process - Developing and Implementing Patient Intake Guidelines. Presented at the QHN Open House The Integration Challenge: Coordinating Services Across the Continuum for Improved Care 2003.
http://www.qhn.ca/pdfs/London%20Presentation%202%20-%20LRCC.pdf - Cohen, Andrea. Lessons Learned From Implementation of Advanced Access. Lawrence Heights Community Health Centre. Presented at the QHN Spring Forum 2006.
http://www.qhn.ca/pdfs/SympCohen.pdf - Harris, Kristan, Helen Emanoilidis, Lina Jobanputra and Tania Obljubek. Wellness for Independent Seniors (WISE). The New Women's College Hospital. Presented at the QHN Spring Forum 2006.
http://www.qhn.ca/pdfs/SympWISEHarris.pdf - Heydon, Angie. The Client is Speaking: Are We Engaged? Ontario Health Quality Council. Presented at the QHN Spring Forum 2006.
http://www.qhn.ca/pdfs/SympHeydon.pdf - Adams, Laura. Quality Management Comes of Age: Improving Quality by Integrating Communities, Rhode Island Quality Institute. Presented at the QHN Fall Forum 2005.
http://www.qhn.ca/pdfs/ff05LauraAdams.pdf - Miyasita, Bruce. Maple Leaf Six Sigma: Lots of Data - Little Information Industry Talks to Health Care. Six Sigma. Presented at the QHN Fall Forum 2005.
http://www.qhn.ca/pdfs/ff05MapleLeaf.pdf - Puterman, Martin (MD). Analysis of Porter Operations at Two Vancouver Hospitals. Sauder School of Business, UBC. Presented at the QHN Spring Forum 2005.
http://www.qhn.ca/pdfs/SF2005PutermanConcurrent.pdf - Henry, Linda. Reducing Falls in the UK's Healthy Communities Collaborative: Discovering Change Agents Around the Tea Kettle. Communities & Falls Collaborative National Primary Care Development Team, UK. Presented at the QHN Fall Forum 2004.
http://www.qhn.ca/pdfs/PlenaryLindaHenry.pdf - Henry, Linda. Teaching a Dog New Tricks: A comparison of the Healthy Communities Collaborative and the National Falls Collaborative, UK. Communities & Falls Collaborative National Primary Care Development Team, UK. Presented at the QHN Fall Forum 2004.
http://www.qhn.ca/pdfs/concurrentLindaHenry.pdf - Bisognano. Maureen. An International Perspective: Improving Care for the Next Decade. Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Presented at QHN's 6th Annual National Conference on Quality in Health Care 2004.
http://www.qhn.ca/pdfs/Bisognano.pdf - Going Lean in Health Care. IHI Innovation Series white paper. Cambridge, MA: Institute for Healthcare Improvement; 2005.
http://www.ihi.org/IHI/Results/WhitePapers/GoingLeaninHealthCare.htm - Schiesz, Kevin. Putting on the Ritz: Continuously improving the Customer Experience. The Ritz -Carlton Company LLC. Presented at the QHN Fall Forum 2005.
- Bisognano. Maureen. A Decade or more of NHS Improvement. Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Presented at QHN's 6th Annual National Conference on Quality in Health Care 2004.
Literature
The following evidence has been gathered for your information.
http://www.qhn.ca/pdfs/ff05ritzreference.pdf
http://www.qhn.ca/pdfs/NHSImprovementbisognano.pdf
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