University of Toronto Chapter of the IHI Open School

Interested in seeing what QI teams achieved last year?  Click on the links below for project posters from two of last year’s QI projects:

Belmont House QI Project Poster (2010)

SickKids QI Project Poster (2010)

Pique your interest? Click here, to sign up for this year’s QI projects.

Possibly interested in becoming involved in a QI project, but want to know before you make a decision?  Here is everything you will need to know:

1. What are QI Projects?

Quality Improvement (QI) projects exists to provide students with opportunities to be involved in improving patient care by materializing the concepts learned in the IHI Open School in a practical setting. By fostering interests and strengthening skills of Quality Improvement in students under the guidance of experienced and dedicated collaborators (Champions), we strive to motivate the students to take initiative in promoting and teaching QI in their future careers.

2. What is the structure of a QI project?

• Each QI team consists of 3-4 students IHI members from different disciplines involved in health care: medicine, nursing, engineering, pharmacy, health administration, public health, etc;
• 4-5 key projects will be provided to students involved in different health care settings (hospital, long term care facilities and family health team, etc.);
• Each project will have a designated team leader, who will act as the client-facing representative; and
• Each project will be led by the champion, who will act as a mentor in instilling the IHI quality improvement and patient safety principles.

3. What is the University of Toronto Chapter for Healthcare Improvement responsible for?

• Facilitating communication between students and champions;
• Designating project leader based on previous experiences with QI and project management;
• Recording progress throughout via frequent email updates and meetings when necessary;
• Addressing concerns and resolving difficulties that may arise throughout the duration of the project; and
• Updating the website (http://www.ihitoronto.ca).

4. What are students responsible for?

• Take initiative, be confident to act independently, and be a team player;
• Devote a 6-7 month time commitment to the project (late Sep-March/April);
• Begin completing IHI Open School Certification (free for UofT students);
• Develop an initial team project charter that outlines team rules and requirements;
• Develop a project that successfully implements IHI patient safety and quality improvement concepts in healthcare centres;
• Define and complete mid-year targets (scope, implemented PDSA) and year-end targets (poster, grey/white paper); and
• Maintain regular updates with QI project lead (1 week at the start of the projects, extending to 2-4 week towards the end of the projects) to address three key questions:
• What have you done since the last update?
• What are you planning to do next?
• Are you experiencing any issues/difficulties?

5. What are champions responsible for?

• Be committed to championing a project with a student team until completion;
• Provide continual support to student teams;
  • Leading and developing the project with the student team, which includes addressing: scope, details, objectives, results with the student team;
  • Mentor the students in quality improvement concepts;
    • Support the students in helping them obtain resources (e.g. data, interviews, etc…);
    • Engage their team of clinicians and staff to support the student teams and the QI project, and;
    • Remain flexible and patient when working with the student teams

6. Who can I contact at the IHI for more information?

• Jacqueline Chan (QI Team Lead): jacqueliner.chan@gmail.com
• Beth Li (VP Practical Experience): beisi.li@utoronto.ca

7. Do I have to have my IHI certification prior to joining a QI team?

We require our students to, at least, start the courses.  We will help students finish the courses throughout the duration of the project.

Click here, to sign up today!

[The registration for these three QI projects is complete.  Thank you to all the interested participants.  Please check back soon for updates on these particular projects, and other new projects.]

Toronto Western Hospital

• Major Intersection: Dundas & Bathurst
• Unit: Family Health Unit
• Possible project topics: 1) workflow, and process improvement of scheduling for clinic appointments, 2) improvements in space utilization, and 3) other project ideas (e.g., hand hygiene).

Meighen Manor Long-term Care Centre

• Major Intersection: Yonge & Davisville
• Possible project topics: 1) Falls Prevention Study and Statistical Analysis, 2) other project ideas (e.g., looking into the other significant LTC touch-points related to MOHLTC requirements)

SickKids

• Major Intersection: Dundas & University
• Medical Areas: Pediatrics & Infectious Disease
• Possible project topics: 1) Discrepancies of staff communication regarding patients with infectious diseases, and 2) other project ideas (e.g., hand hygiene).

The scope of these projects, along with their respective project topics are not comprehensive.  These project topics are just the ideas that are most closely associated with the organizations or units that are involved.  It it up to the students and champions to decide the project scope, topics, and deliverables.