Collaborating for improvement in health professions education

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Quality Improvement Science
• Organizational Learning

Background:

• Continual improvement (CI) adoption lags in health professions education compared to healthcare delivery.
• Educational organizations face unique challenges in implementing CI initiatives.
• Understanding these barriers is crucial for advancing educational quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and analyze lessons learned from teams engaged in CI within an educational collaborative.
• To pinpoint common barriers encountered during CI implementation in health professions education.
• To provide actionable insights for overcoming these obstacles.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis of team experiences within an Interdisciplinary Professional Education Collaborative.
• Case study approach focusing on barriers and facilitators of CI.
• Thematic analysis of reported challenges and successful strategies.

Main Results:

• Teams faced significant barriers including resistance to change, lack of time, and insufficient resources.
• Successful CI implementation was facilitated by strong leadership, interdisciplinary collaboration, and dedicated training.
• Adaptation of CI methodologies to the educational context was a key learning.

Conclusions:

• Overcoming barriers to CI in health professions education requires tailored strategies and a supportive organizational culture.
• Interdisciplinary collaboration is vital for sharing best practices and fostering innovation in educational CI.
• Sustained commitment and adaptive approaches are necessary for effective and lasting improvement in health professions education.