The relationship between continuous quality improvement and research

The adoption of new care processes can take years despite high-quality research findings that support the change in clinical practice. Healthcare quality professionals, with their leadership and continuous quality improvement (CQI) skills, are critical champions in accelerating and supporting the change toward evidence-based practice. Heightened attention to the relationship between CQI, research, and research utilization is vital. This article addresses CQI strategies and research activities that can help organizations advance quality of care and patient outcomes. By broadening their repertoire of CQI methods, healthcare quality professionals can provide more value to their organizations and expand the complex problems and projects that CQI teams can manage.