Continuous quality improvement: a shared governance model that maximizes agent-specific knowledge.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Quality Improvement Science
• Organizational Psychology

Background:

• Shared governance models are crucial for empowering healthcare professionals.
• Implementing continuous quality improvement (CQI) initiatives requires structured frameworks.
• Enhancing patient safety and care quality necessitates leveraging point-of-care expertise.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce an innovative shared governance model at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC).
• To establish continuous quality improvement (CQI) councils to drive quality and safety enhancements.
• To build human resources capacity and sustain improvements in care delivery.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a shared governance model centered on CQI councils across LHSC.
• Formation of interprofessional and cross-functional teams to lead CQI initiatives.
• Training staff in LEAN methodology and patient experience-based design for effective implementation.

Main Results:

• The model successfully leveraged agent-specific knowledge at the point of care.
• Established a structure fostering collaboration, accountability, and ownership in quality improvement.
• A corporate CQI Steering Committee facilitated the scaling and spreading of the model.

Conclusions:

• The shared governance model effectively enhances quality and safe patient care delivery.
• Empowering staff through CQI councils builds capacity and sustains improvements.
• The integrated approach of shared governance and CQI is a scalable model for healthcare organizations.