Quality Patient Safety

Developing and implementing a quality improvement program in healthcare is a complex process with many challenges. Specifically designed with acute care and critical access hospitals in mind, this toolkit features resources necessary to create an effective quality improvement program. A quality improvement program requires input from all aspects of an organization including the board of directors, executive leadership, bedside healthcare providers and physicians along with patients and their families.

The resources available in the Quality-Patient Safety Toolkit include:

Tactics to develop and implement a quality improvement plan
How to include patients and their families
How to identify monitoring opportunities
How to review processes when an issue arises

Toolkit Materials

Quality and Patient Safety Performance Measures

This resource provides healthcare organizations with a variety of potential clinical performance measures that can be monitored on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis.
Developing and Implementing a QI Plan

This resource presents an overview for development of an effective quality improvement plan that addresses each component.
AHRQ Practice Foundation Handbook, Module 14

This resource presents an overview of forming quality improvement teams and how these teams can be effective in your organization.
Introduction to the Toolkit for Using the AHRQ Quality Indicators: How To Improve Hospital Quality and Safety

This resource guides healthcare organizations in the step-by-step process of assessing and improving the quality and safety of care provided to patients.
Guidance for Performing Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) with Performance Improvement Projects

This resource provides guidance on how to perform a Failure Mode and Effect Analysis.
Guidance for Performing Root Cause Analysis (RCA) with Performance Improvement Projects (PIPs)

This resource provides guidance on how to conduct a Root Cause Analysis and identify what needs to be addressed in an effort to improve patient safety.
Plan, Do, Check/Study, Act Model for Improvement

These resources provide guidance on how to work through the PDCA/PDSA process to create process changes within healthcare organizations.
Culture of Safety 2017 Update

This resource is composed of a variety of strategies, change concepts and actionable items that any organization can implement based on the need or services provided to improve patient safety.
Guide to Patient and Family Engagement in Hospital Quality and Safety

This resource provides guidance on how to improve patient and family engagement in an organization’s quality and safety program.
Preventing Readmissions 2017 Update

This resource provides guidance on how organizations can improve the discharge process, and therefore, the chance of readmissions.