Planning for Continuous Quality Improvement
The key to any continuous quality improvement (CQI) initiative is using a structured planning approach. Before you begin implementing a quality improvement program, your organization should:
- Articulate your overall quality improvement goals
- Identify specific clinical and administrative outcomes for the desired future state
- Evaluate current processes and understand what works and what does not work in the current state
- Understand how Health IT will change the way your organization delivers care and help you achieve your goals
- Develop a plan for collecting data and measuring your progress along the way
You should be sure to involve clinical staff, administrative staff, and senior leadership in the planning process. Developing a robust quality improvement plan will help your organization take advantage of the benefits of Health IT to improve organizational efficiency, health care quality, and patient outcomes. Remember, however, to monitor your progress and adjust your quality improvement plan as needed.
For More Information
For more information on planning for quality improvement and how you can use Health IT to improve health care quality and patient outcomes, see the following resources.