Moving from prove to improve: A collaborative continuous quality improvement process for advancing Clinical and...

Area of Science:

• Clinical and Translational Research
• Health Services Research
• Program Management

Background:

• Structured processes are essential for improving clinical and translational research quality within the CTSA program.
• Traditional evaluation programs may fall short in driving actual quality improvement due to metric relevance and incentive issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a novel approach for enhancing CTSA program quality by prioritizing continuous quality improvement (CQI) over purely evaluative data collection.
• To detail a structured, iterative planning process for implementing CQI within a CTSA hub.

Main Methods:

• Convening CTSA hub leaders for an iterative planning process.
• Developing a CQI framework with three core components: logic models, relevant performance metrics, and a collaborative action framework.
• Intentionally shifting focus from external evaluation to internal quality enhancement through data collection.

Main Results:

• The described CQI process provides a structured method for advancing research quality.
• The framework facilitates targeted improvements by defining goals, mechanisms, and actionable steps.
• Emphasis on CQI over evaluation enhances the relevance and impact of data collection activities.

Conclusions:

• A deliberate focus on continuous quality improvement, supported by a structured framework, is more effective for enhancing CTSA program quality than traditional evaluation methods alone.
• The proposed CQI model offers a replicable strategy for other CTSA programs seeking to improve research impact.
• Integrating logic models, relevant metrics, and collaborative action planning drives meaningful performance enhancement.