Putting improvement in everyone's hands: opening up healthcare improvement by simplifying, supporting and refocusing on core purpose

Abstract

Quality improvement is increasingly being used within healthcare as an operating model to empower and enable teams of staff and service users at the point of care to find solutions to complex quality and safety issues. Adopting quality improvement methods in healthcare poses several challenges, and many healthcare providers have faced barriers in embedding a culture that nurtures and supports a systematic approach to problem-solving at the point of care. This article proposes a simple framework with three components to help healthcare systems avoid the common barriers to introducing quality improvement interventions. First, simplify the language and accentuate the similarities between methods. Second, support those applying quality improvement with skilled, accessible improvement expertise and applying evidence-based adult education theories. Third, design quality improvement interventions so that they strengthen a shared purpose by allowing teams to decide what to prioritise and involving patients and family members as equal partners in quality improvement work.