An experiential learning collaborative on quality improvement for interprofessional learners.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Interprofessional Learning

Background:

• Curricula often lack practical application of quality improvement (QI) principles for healthcare trainees.
• Developing essential teamwork skills alongside QI knowledge is crucial for future practitioners.
• Existing clinical environments offer opportunities for experiential QI training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the QUEST (Quality Improvement Education and Training) program.
• To assess the impact of an interprofessional learning collaborative on QI knowledge and teamwork skills.
• To determine the feasibility and participant satisfaction with an experiential QI training model.

Main Methods:

• The QUEST program, a 7-month interprofessional learning collaborative, was implemented.
• Learners were paired with mentors on clinical QI teams, receiving structured content, tasks, and feedback.
• Quality improvement knowledge was assessed using the QIKAT-R, and teamwork readiness using the ISVS-9B.

Main Results:

• Three cohorts of 45 health professions learners completed the program, generating 27 QI projects.
• QI knowledge scores significantly increased from 5.48 to 6.34 (p = .01).
• Teamwork readiness scores significantly improved from 5.25 to 6.23 (p < .01).

Conclusions:

• The QUEST program successfully improved QI knowledge and teamwork readiness in healthcare learners.
• Experiential, interprofessional learning collaboratives are effective for QI training.
• Participant feedback highlighted the program's value for professional development and interprofessional collaboration.