Related Experiment Videos
A quality improvement curriculum for medical students
1Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Rockford, Rockford, Illinois, USA. ehenley@uic.edu
The Joint Commission Journal on Quality Improvement
|January 15, 2002
Summary
A pilot quality improvement (QI) curriculum was implemented in medical education, showing moderate student effectiveness. Future efforts should focus on faculty development and role modeling for better QI integration.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Quality Improvement Science
Background:
- Quality improvement (QI) integration into medical education is recommended but infrequently reported.
- A pilot project developed and implemented a QI curriculum within a family medicine clerkship.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and implement a curriculum on quality improvement (QI) for medical students.
- To assess the effectiveness and student perception of the QI curriculum.
Main Methods:
- A five-part curriculum was delivered over successive weeks of a family medicine clerkship.
- Students participated in QI principles orientation, chart audits of diabetes care, and developed improvement recommendations.
- Evaluation included module completion, knowledge/opinion assessment, and interviews with QI coordinators.
Main Results:
- 30 third-year medical students from two clinic sites participated.
- Students completed chart audits and proposed improvement recommendations.
- QI coordinators noted student interest but need for more QI training and faculty development; students found the curriculum moderately effective.
Conclusions:
- A QI curriculum utilizing active learning was successfully implemented in a family medicine clerkship.
- Students perceived the curriculum as appropriate for their learning.
- Further faculty development and role modeling of QI activities are recommended.