1.8 Knowledge Check

1. What is the difference between research and quality improvement (QI)? Describe at least two key distinctions.
2. Which of the following tools can be used to identify root causes of a problem?
   1. Bar graph
   2. Fishbone diagram
   3. SurveyMonkey
   4. Process map
3. Name one quantitative and one qualitative data source used in QI, and explain how they complement each other.

1. Why is project selection important in QI work? What criteria should teams use to prioritize?
2. What does SFMEA help you assess, and why is it especially relevant in high-stakes pediatric mental health processes like suicide risk screening?

Knowledge and Awareness

1. Research seeks new generalizable knowledge and tests a hypothesis with a fixed protocol; QI applies existing knowledge to improve a specific local process, using rapid, iterative small-scale tests (e.g., PDSA cycles) rather than a fixed, unchanging protocol.
2. B) Fishbone diagram — it organizes potential causes of a problem into categories to identify root causes.
3. Quantitative: a measure like the percentage of patients screened or wait-time data. Qualitative: staff or family feedback/interviews. Together, they complement each other because the numbers show what is happening (the size and trend of a problem) while the narrative feedback explains why it's happening, which helps teams design the right change ideas.

Application

1. Project selection matters because teams have limited time and resources; picking the right project focuses effort where it will have the greatest impact. Criteria for prioritizing include alignment with organizational or program goals, potential impact on patients/families, feasibility given available resources, urgency or safety risk, and data showing a clear gap or opportunity.
2. SFMEA (Safety/Systems Failure Modes and Effects Analysis) helps teams proactively identify where a process could fail before an error occurs, rather than waiting to react after harm happens. This is especially relevant to suicide risk screening because the stakes of a missed or delayed step are extremely high, so anticipating failure points in advance helps prevent serious harm.