A Structured Quality Improvement Educational Curriculum Increases Surgical Resident Involvement in QI Processes

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Surgical Residency Training

Background:

• Patient safety and quality improvement (QI) are critical in healthcare.
• Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) mandates QI training for general surgery residents.
• Existing QI training programs show inconsistent execution and efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of a formalized QI educational program within an academic general surgery residency.
• To evaluate the impact of structured QI training on resident knowledge, skills, and project involvement.

Main Methods:

• Implemented a comprehensive QI educational program including didactics, online resources, peer collaboration, and faculty mentorship.
• Administered pre- and post-program self-assessment surveys using a 10-point Likert scale to gauge knowledge, skill, and comfort levels.
• Tracked the number of QI projects initiated, presented, and prepared for publication, alongside ACGME survey results.

Main Results:

• Residents showed significant increases in self-assessed knowledge of QI processes (6.4 vs. 4.0) and confidence in project development (6.3 vs. 3.9).
• Resident participation in QI projects rose from 0.4 to 1.8 projects per resident annually, with 100% involvement post-program versus 38% prior.
• ACGME survey data indicated improved resident participation in QI, increasing from 86% to 97%.

Conclusions:

• A formalized, structured QI education program demonstrably enhances surgery residents' engagement in QI projects.
• The program significantly improved residents' confidence and competence in QI processes.
• The QI initiative positively impacted the residency program's overall performance on ACGME resident surveys regarding QI involvement.