August 2024 Newsletter
Over the last 14 months, 96 emergency departments across the nation have been participating in the Pediatric Readiness Quality Improvement Collaborative (PRQC).
These sites have engaged in collaborative sessions, providing opportunities to learn from one another's experiences and expedite their quality improvement efforts. Between these sessions, participating teams monitor their progress and adjust their planned activities as necessary.
Participant dedication to quality improvement work has already yielded remarkable results. Some of what we are seeing from the field is:
| Areas of Improvement | Intervention Strategies/Results from the Field |
|---|---|
Staff Education |
|
Electronic Medical Record (EMR)/Equipment updates |
|
Knowledge-Reinforcement |
|
Patient-Centered Strategies |
|
These results are a testament to the power of our committed teams. As we celebrate these achievements, we look toward the future and we’re excited to explore how we can further elevate our collective efforts.
PRQC participants are committed to enhancing the quality of care for pediatric patients by embracing quality improvement tools such as Key Driver Diagrams, PDSA cycles, Fishbone Diagrams, and SWOT Analyses. These tools offer powerful ways to deepen your understanding, sharpen your focus, and amplify your impact. Together we’re driving positive change and ensuring the best possible outcomes for pediatric patients, faster.
QI Tools
This month we are spotlighting the use of QI tools. See below for how to begin utilizing some of these tools.
Key Driver Diagram
A Key Driver Diagram can be used to plan improvement project activities. It provides a way of systematically laying out aspects of an improvement project so they can be discussed and agreed on.
By implementing KDDs in quality improvement initiatives, you can observe several benefits:
- Clarifying goals
- Identifying areas of improvement
- Prioritizing interventions and resources
- Aligning team efforts
- Measuring progress
KDD can be effectively integrated with other QI tools to enhance outcomes and provide a more comprehensive approach to quality improvement.
- PDSA cycles- change ideas identified in KDD can be directly linked to PDSA cycles, allowing teams to test and refine interventions systematically, helps to translate theory into practice and measure the impact of specific changes.
- Run charts- to track progress and identify trends related to specific drivers or change ideas.
Fishbone Diagram
A Fishbone Diagram, also known as a cause and effect diagram, can inform the development of primary and secondary drivers in a driver diagram providing a more comprehensive view of the problem. Categories may include Materials, Methods, Equipment, Environment, and People.
SWOT Analysis
A SWOT Analysis is a method to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats within your organization. Additionally, a periodic SWOT Analysis may be useful to the continued development of project goals and objectives throughout the project.
Check out the site presentation schedule for your site’s update.
-Continuing PDSA cycles- By working through at least 3-4 PDSA cycles, your site will develop and implement strategies that ensure the sustainability of your efforts, ultimately leading to improvements that will surpass the initial performance achieved in the first few PDSA cycles.
-Continuing entering data into NPRQI and review your performance dashboard
-Reaching out to the PRQC team for SMART aim editing/development (as needed), change strategies brainstorming (as needed), and joining collaborative learning sessions.