ABCi - Skills for Improvement - What is QI?

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What is a Quality Improvement (QI)?
'Quality improvement is a particular, and very specific, approach to complex problem solving that 
relies on testing and learning (and failing many times). Quality improvement empowers those closest 
to the improvement opportunity to discover a better way, and should deeply involve both staff, 
patients, service users and carers in understanding the issue, identifying new ideas and testing these 
out to see which work within the given context.' (Amar Shah ELFT)

  This page will point you in the direction of 
  resources which will give you an idea of what 
  quality improvement science is all about.
  Quality Improvement methodology is based on 
  'Improvement Science', an ever expanding bank 
  of knowledge ustilising existing and new fields of 
  evidence and best practice. There are numerous 
  frameworks that are useful in support of quality 
  improvement, however the The Model for 
  Improvement (see further down) is the dominant 
  methodology adopted for use in NHS Wales 

 During any QI journey, teams require Profound Knowledge (Deming) 
of the system itself and its inherent variation, skills to work with others 
and understanding of what works and what doesn't work.  
There are many tools in the quality improvement toolkit that enable 
teams to acquire this knowledge during their improvement journey.  
These tools include those to help you understand, measure, harness 
creativity, test, implement and finally spread & scale up changes that 
work in practice. See tools listed below and Skills for Improvement.



Perspectives on Quality Improvement
QI Connect Webex Series - Healthcare Improvement Scotland - Perspectives from International Leaders
Amar Shah (ELFT) - Also QI Essential Blog Series
Also ELFT 'We're Quality Improving'
David Williams, Scholar/practitioner Science of 
Improvement
Joy Furnival
QI at the Coalface
Jonathan Clarke, ENT Consultant ABUHB
The case for building a Quality Management System
Freddie Johansson, Consultant Psychiatrist 


Quality Improvement Courses
ABCi run an introductory course - Pocket QI aimed at all staff interested in or involved in QI work. 
Or for those wanting to lead improvement and develop a more in depth knowldedge - QI Coach, 
both based on the Model for Improvement (see below).  See the ABCi Skills Training Prospectus for 
information about all ABCi development programmes.

There are a variety of other online QI courses and workshops 
at various levels, many of which are free to access, for you to 
explore? 
(course 6 weeks long - free access to course for 8 weeks)
(Improvement Capability & Patient Safety online courses)
(courses around patient safety and quality improvement)
Improvement Cymru Bronze IQT & Silver IQT  
(courses being restructured, Improvement Cymru Academy)
The Science of Improvement on a Whiteboard 
(IHI whiteboard videos of a number of QI principles & tools)
Improvement Organisations

 Other Useful Links
This Institute (healthcare Improvement research) 
NuffieldTrust (independent Health think tank) 
Kings Fund (independant charity working to improve health & care)
MindsetQI (QI in mental health - toolkit) 
Point of Care Foundation QI (improving patient experience of healthcare)
East London Foundation Trust QI  (ELFT improvement hub)
Betsi Cadwalladr UHB QI  (BCU improvement hub)

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