Working together to continuously improve care and
health outcomes for the people of Somerset.
We developed our quadruple aim from the Institute of Healthcare Improvement’s Triple Bottom Line. It is the golden thread of our practice, informing the identification and measurement of improvement benefits.
The elements of the quadruple aim are interlinked: delivering benefits in one area will naturally generate benefits in other areas.
Our seven steps to quality improvement were developed by our quality improvement specialists, grounded in theory from the world-renowned Institute for Healthcare Improvement. They provide a straightforward approach for anyone to do quality improvement.
We provide training in the seven steps, from beginner to advanced and CPD-accredited level. Find out more here.
We have a suite of tools and resources available to support you through the seven steps – information below. And we offer coaching alongside – contact us to discuss your service challenges, change ideas and projects.
The first consideration in any quality improvement work is bringing together the right people for the job. Think about who you need on board to make the change happen.
Here is a good checklist…
In the words of Albert Einstein: “If I had an hour to solve a problem I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.”
When people face a problem, the natural and often immediate response is to try and fix it. It’s simply the way we are wired; it’s human nature. The challenge is that when we take problems at face value can misinterpret them for what is actually a symptom or consequence. Only when we get curious can we dig deep in our thinking and conversations to unearth the root cause of the issue. A thorough understanding of the problem is pivotal to success in quality improvement.
Formulating a measurable aim provides an all-important shared sense of purpose and common goal. Your aim should massively inspire and excite everyone involved in the change and maybe, just maybe, feel a tiny bit scary.
Measures allow us to monitor progress and understand where we may need to make small changes to deliver better results. We use three types of measure for each quality improvement project…
The solutions! Or potential solutions. Change ideas are suggestions of what you could do differently to achieve your aim. The list of ideas can be long or short but should always be more than one.
Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycles are how we do our tests of change. The straightforward structure focuses on testing one change idea at a time, learning, fine-tuning with a single adjustment then testing again. This cycle is repeated until it stops becoming useful, then the next PDSA can start. Only when we make one change at a time can we pinpoint the things that are making a difference.
Now you have cracked the formula think about who else could benefit from your wisdom. Who might be facing a similar problem? Share your learning and knowledge. Show the art of the possible. Spread what works. Inspire people.
