Early Experiences After Adopting a Quality Improvement Portfolio Into the Academic Advancement Process

Area of Science:

• Academic Medicine
• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Academic medical centers (AMCs) face challenges in evaluating faculty contributions to quality improvement (QI) and patient safety using traditional metrics.
• Recognizing and promoting faculty in QI leadership roles requires innovative academic advancement processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt and implement a quality improvement (QI) portfolio for faculty advancement within an academic department.
• To assess the utilization, impact, and faculty perceptions of the QI portfolio over two years.

Main Methods:

• Adapted a nationally developed QI portfolio for departmental use.
• Integrated the portfolio into the faculty academic advancement process.
• Tracked portfolio submissions and faculty advancement outcomes.

Main Results:

• 67 QI portfolios were submitted, with 100% of faculty receiving academic advancement.
• 83% of faculty found the portfolio effective for recognizing QI contributions; 85% found it elevated QI's importance.
• Submissions included diverse faculty, with 60% from women and representation across multiple specialty divisions.

Conclusions:

• The QI portfolio is an effective tool for recognizing faculty in QI work and advancing their careers.
• Further adaptation is needed to complement existing advancement processes for sustained utilization.
• This model can be disseminated to other AMCs to foster career paths in systems improvement.