Quality Academic Community

Faculty Lead: David Johnson, MD

The Quality Academic Community will equip Vanderbilt Pediatrics Residents and Fellows with the knowledge and tools to develop and lead quality improvement projects during their training and future careers through a longitudinal curriculum that ushers each participant through their own QI project.

Goals

  1. Differentiate between QI and research
  2. Design, develop, and lead systems-based QI projects with a team using the Model for Improvement as your framework
  3. Demonstrate use of fundamental QI tools in appropriate situations 
  4. Collect, display, and analyze data using statistical process control (SPC)
  5. Understand how to evaluate QI literature
  6. Demonstrate peer teaching of QI methods
  7. Presentation of project as poster or platform at local (including Vanderbilt Pediatrics Research retreat) or national meeting

Requirements

  1. Design and lead a QI project with a team. This will include:
    a.  Frequent data collection and plotting on a run/control chart (this will require access to a computer with Microsoft Excel) 
    b.  Utilizing fundamental skills learned during sessions to gain knowledge from your data over time
    c.  Develop small tests of change based on theories learned from data collection and analysis
    d.  Engaging team members in the process 
  2. Identify a faculty sponsor who can help oversee any changes occurring in the area where changes will be taking place
  3. Monthly one hour sessions with the community to learn from other members' projects and learn new QI skills 
  4. Frequent (approximately every other month) 5 minute presentations of your own project to receive feedback from the group
  5. Online posting of different components of your own project (such as a key driver) between classes with the expectation that members provide meaningful feedback via the web
  6. Required Reading including:
    a.  The Improvement Guide by Langley et al.
    b.  Understanding Variation: The Key to Managing Chaos by Wheeler
    c.  Other relevant articles as needed 
  7. Members of the community in their 2nd and 3rd years will be developing and presenting didactics of QI skills/concepts to new members
  8. Presentation of your QI project at a regional or national meeting
  9. Submit your project to the Department MOC Portfolio to gain ABP MOC part IV credit for yourself and other pediatricians on your team