Key quality improvement measurement tools

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J Trauma Nurs. We can use key performance indicators that represent high-level metrics to assess the performance of the operation. For the indicators that are not performing at the target level, the quality metrics impacting that indicator will be deduced. It is important to explicitly define how all quality metrics will be measured, and for this reason operational definitions are used. It is extremely important to be as specific as possible in clearly stating operational definitions, because the accuracy of the operational definition will directly impact the accuracy of the metric being used to measure quality.

If the measurement system of the process is not clearly defined through operational definitions, it may introduce increased variation in results. The general approach in many industries emphasizes continuous improvement of processes to maintain and sustain high-quality performance. The foundation of Lean Six Sigma is based upon key quality improvement tools.

Quality improvement tools can be applied as standalone tools or as part of an overall improvement effort, such as a process improvement project or activity. Finally, the quality activities should represent a continuous system that strives to improve the process.

To illustrate the application of some key quality improvement tools we will use examples of process improvement activities in a radiology department.

A radiology department has a problem with a large study queue. The large study queue results in increased lag time to process the requested studies.

Examination of dashboard key performance indicators shows an unexpected decrease in productivity along with a decreased number of generated reports when compared to prior years. The department head has asked his team to look into the process and apply various quality improvement tools to understand the problem and identify the root cause issues; this information will be applied to drive corrective actions. The goal is to improve the number of generated reports without negatively impacting the report quality and patient satisfaction.

The first step is to examine the process and define its outcomes. The number of reports generated will be the outcome metric. The operational definition of the outcome metric reports generated is the following: A report is generated once the report is completed, finalized, submitted to the electronic health record, and the critical findings have been communicated to the ordering physician.

The following steps outline the sequence of further analysis and the quality tools used for that analysis:. The first step is to examine the outcome metric of how many reports were produced year over year. This is done by creating a run chart.

The second step is to define the process or the combination of tasks in a specified order to create the report and identify the responsible parties. This is done by creating a flow chart also known as a process map. This toolkit consists of 10 tools and templates—with instructions and examples—for primary care practices to use for quality improvement QI projects.

The toolkit supports Key Driver 2: Implement a data-driven quality improvement process to integrate evidence into practice procedures. Tools include:. All rights reserved. Individuals may photocopy these materials for educational, not-for-profit uses, provided that the contents are not altered in any way and that proper attribution is given to IHI as the source of the content. These materials may not be reproduced for commercial, for-profit use in any form or by any means, or republished under any circumstances, without the written permission of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.

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