Improving patient safety education for radiology residents: Using a quality improvement approach

The 2021-2022 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) survey of radiology residents at our institution showed a level of participation in safety event investigations that was below ACGME compliance standards. We undertook a quality improvement (QI) project that aimed to increase resident participation in safety event root cause analysis (RCA) and action planning, as well as to enhance the QI training experience for radiology residents.

A team of residents, program leaders, and radiology QI professionals applied the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) methodology to identify root causes of low resident participation in safety event investigations.

We designed and implemented targeted interventions that aimed to restore compliance with ACGME standards. Interventions included integrating first-year residents into the Radiology Quality Oversight Committee, improving safety event reporting education, clarifying terminology used in ACGME survey questions, and incorporating simulated RCA events. The subsequent ACGME survey showed that our QI initiative led to a 33% increase in resident participation in safety event investigations without compromising the balance between education and patient care.

Addressing the observed decline through structured QI initiatives not only restored compliance with ACGME standards but also strengthened the overall educational experience for residents. This project underscores the critical role of targeted interventions in maintaining high levels of resident engagement in patient safety activities.