Key Strategies to Publishing Your Quality Improvement Work

Improving quality and safety is a goal in health care, and sharing quality improvement (QI) work with internal and external audiences is key to spreading knowledge and ideas for change. Peer-reviewed journals are interested in manuscripts reporting QI work.

Although QI work is methodologically different from traditionally published research articles, it can be publishable if conducted in a way that is scholarly and well-planned. The authors suggest that key strategies to producing publishable, scholarly improvement work exist within two broad categories: rigorous work and compelling writing. Rigorous improvement work includes the following four key components: (1) understanding baseline processes, (2) developing a solid methodology and measurement plan, (3) analyzing and describing context, and (4) clearly explaining the intervention. Creating compelling writing includes clear team expectations that are defined early in the process, including authorship and division of the work. The team should identify a journal early in the process and follow a clear plan for team writing that includes an outline and frequent feedback.

Elements of rigorous QI work and compelling writing align to develop strong material for publishing scholarly QI work.