Promoting Quality Improvement in Primary Care Through a Longitudinal, Project-Based, Interprofessional Curriculum

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Education
• Quality Improvement Science
• Interprofessional Practice

Background:

• Health professionals require integrated training in quality improvement (QI) and interprofessional (IP) practice.
• Existing curricula often lack a longitudinal and integrated approach to developing these essential competencies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe an experiential, interprofessional QI curriculum designed to address the gap in integrated training.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of this curriculum in enhancing QI knowledge and skills among trainees.

Main Methods:

• A 9-month curriculum involving mentored interprofessional teams to manage QI projects from selection to presentation.
• Trainees included internal medicine residents, nurse practitioner students, pharmacy residents, and psychology fellows.
• Evaluation methods included self-assessments, satisfaction surveys, mentor appraisals, and project impact assessments.

Main Results:

• 242 trainees completed the curriculum, undertaking 41 QI projects between 2011-2018.
• Trainees reported high satisfaction and improved comfort with QI knowledge and skills.
• Mentors observed trainee growth, and 38 projects resulted in system modifications.

Conclusions:

• The interprofessional QI curriculum provides valuable team-based, workplace learning experiences.
• Successful implementation hinges on team-building and faculty development.
• Challenges include data collection, measuring system changes, and ensuring consistent trainee engagement.