PAC3 Quality Improvement Education Class
This course will combine didactic QI education with completion of a local QI project and will end with the opportunity to share your QI project at the 2024 Spring PC4/PAC3 Conference.
The class consists of monthly one-hour virtual sessions, running from August 2023-February 2024. During class time you will be able to share progress on your local QI project and get feedback from QI coaches and fellow students.
In between class sessions you will have assignments to help learn QI concepts. These will consist of videos and reading and should take 2-3 hours per month. You will be expected to make progress on your local QI project between classes and to prepare an update about it for each class.
We realize this is a significant time commitment and recommend your consideration of this prior to applying. To help your local QI project be successful, we require participants to have a local Sponsor/Coach who is familiar with the local system you are working in and can provide additional coaching and support as needed.
This class is free of charge and participants will be gifted The Health Care Data Guide by Provost & Murray. If you are selected and accept, we do ask that you acknowledge the coaching you receive from PAC3 in any presentations or academic products related to the project.
How to Apply
- Deadline: June 9, 2023
- Participants: Only four participants will be chosen for this class. We aim to hold this class annually, so if your site is not selected this year, we encourage you to apply for next year’s class
Exact dates are TBD.
| Session | Pre-work: IHI Open School & Presentation | Pre-work: Reading | Class plan |
| 1 | QI 101: Introduction to Health Care Improvement *Lesson 1 (Optional), 2, 3 QI 102: How to improve with the Model for Improvement *Lesson 1 QI 105: Leading Quality Improvement *Lesson 1 Watch the PAC3 Video Fill in QI team matrix: IHITool_QITeamMemberMatrixWorksheet.pdf Complete presentation template, send to pac3@childrens.com | (Optional) Improvement Guide: Chapter 1 & 2 | Present project ideas and draft SMART aims |
| 2 | QI 102: How to improve with the Model for Improvement *Lesson 2, 3, 4 QI 105: Leading Quality Improvement *Lesson 2 Watch: How Do You Use a Driver Diagram? | IHI – Institute for Healthcare Improvement Watch the PAC3 VideoFill out stakeholder analysis Complete presentation template, send to pac3@childrens.com | Health Care Data GuideChapter 2 (Optional) Improvement Guide: Chapter 4 & 5 | Present SMART aim, KDD, Stakeholder analysis |
| 3 | QI 102: How to improve with the Model for Improvement *Lesson 5 Q103: Testing & Measuring Changes with PDSA cycles *Lesson 1, 2,3 Watch the PAC3 Video Run at least one PDSA; meet with your team at least once Complete presentation template, send to pac3@childrens.com | Health Care Data GuideChapter 3 (Optional) Improvement Guide: Chapter 6, 7 & 8 | Present PDSAs |
| 4 | QI 104: Interpreting Data: Run charts, control charts, and other measurement tools *Lesson 1, 2, 3 L 101: Introduction to Healthcare Leadership *Lesson 1, 2 Watch the PAC3 Video Run at least one PDSA; meet with your team at least once Create a histogram, Pareto chart or scatter plot Complete presentation template, send to pac3@childrens.com | Health Care Data GuideChapter 4 & 5See Ch 7 for reference depending on type of data collected | Present run/control charts |
| 5 | QI 105: Leading Quality Improvement *Lesson 3 Watch the PAC3 Video Run at least one PDSA; meet with your team at least once Complete presentation template, send to pac3@childrens.com by August 25 | (Optional) Improvement Guide: Chapter 11 & 14 | Present progress; lessons learned, challenges |
| 6 | Watch: Sustaining Improvement | IHI – Institute for Healthcare Improvement Read: IHISustainingImprovementWhitePaper.pdf Watch the PAC3 Video Run at least one PDSA; meet with your team at least once Complete presentation template, send to pac3@childrens.com | Health Care Data GuideChapter 12 (Optional) Improvement Guide: Chapter 9 | Present progress, next stepsSustain/Spread |
Historical QI Education Opportunities
Cardiac Networks United QI Education/Training
QI Basics
Format: Series of six 1-hour virtual training sessions offered 2x per year; primarily didactic but with time reserved for discussion/questions.
Participants: Open to all CNU participants who are or will be engaged in CNU QI project(s) at site level (including patients/parents); advanced registration and commitment to participate in full series is required.
Purpose: Provide an introduction to quality improvement concepts, tools, and methods; prepare network members to effectively participate on site level teams working on CNU QI projects.
| Session | Date | Topics | Pre-work |
| 1 | Sep 1, 2021 3-4pm EST | The Model for Improvement, Forming a Team | IHI Open School QI 101: Introduction to Health Care Improvement (Lessons 1-3) QI 102: How to improve with the Model for Improvement (Lessons 1-2) |
| 2 | Oct 6, 2021 3-4pm EST | Understanding Current State and Root Causes Tools: 5 Whys, sFMEA, Pareto, Fishbone | |
| 3 | Nov 3, 2021 3-4pm EST | Measuring Improvement: Operational Definitions Data Collection Strategies Run Charts | IHI Open School QI 104: Interpreting Data: Run charts, control charts, and other measurement tools (Lessons 1-3) |
| 4 | Dec 1, 2021 3-4pm EST | Theory of Change Tools: Key Driver Diagram | |
| 5 | Jan 5, 2022 3-4pm EST | Plan-Do-Study-Act Cycles and Change Concepts | IHI Open School QI 103: Testing & Measuring Changes with PDSA cycles (Lessons 1–3) |
| 6 | Feb 2, 2022 3-4pm EST | Reliability, Spread, and Sustainability | IHI Open School QI 201 Planning for spread: from local improvements to system-wide change |
Advanced Learning Health Network Training
Format: Quarterly 1-hour interactive sessions.
Participants: Open to CNU Network members who are currently (or will be) leading CNU project(s) at local site level or network level (including patient/patient co-leaders).
Purpose: Develop leaders who are able to effectively lead site level teams working on CNU QI projects, and who have interest in leadership roles leading QI at the network level; educate leaders on advanced concepts that are involved in leading a network.
| Session | Date | Topics | Pre-Work |
| 1 | Oct 12, 2021 1-2pm EST | What is a learning health system? | IHI Open School pre-work QI 105: Leading quality improvement L 101: Introduction to Healthcare Leadership Lesson 1: What makes a leader Lesson 2: Practical skills for leading teams |
| 2 | Jan 11, 2022 1-2pm EST | Designing for network change, learning and improvement framework, learning sessions | |
| 3 | Apr 12, 2022 1-2pm EST | Building and balancing a portfolio or projects, actor-oriented organization | |
| 4 | Jul 12, 2022 1-2pm EST | Incorporating health equity into network |
Life QI
Life QI is a software platform that allows teams to create Key Driver Diagrams, conduct PDSA cycles, and visualize the results on run and control charts. The Model for improvement tools are integrated to provide a platform tailored to running quality improvement projects. Centers can use the platform when participating in PAC³-led quality improvement projects and to organize and run local QI projects.
IHI Open School
The IHI Open School is a global learning community that offers three levels online courses about quality improvement:
- 100-level courses = Introductory concepts for all health care audiences
- 200-level courses = Intermediate concepts and specialized topic areas
- 300-level courses = Project-based learning
If you are interested in obtaining a license for either product, email PAC3@childrens.com.