Misalignment between research and quality improvement terminology in published nursing reports: A descriptive study.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Research Methodology
• Scientific Publication Standards

Background:

• Quality Improvement (QI) is distinct from research, requiring different designs and evaluation methods.
• Publications often conflate QI terminology with research designs and methods.
• Misalignment can hinder accurate interpretation and application of findings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To objectively quantify the misalignment between stated and actual implementation designs and evaluation methods in QI reports.
• To assess the concordance of methodologies used in publications labeled as QI.
• To identify the prevalence of research designs within QI-labeled articles.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, cross-sectional study design was employed.
• Articles from the first 2025 issue of all Nursing Journal Directory journals were reviewed.
• Articles stating QI as the design/method were extracted for analysis.

Main Results:

• Out of 5,398 articles reviewed, 75 were labeled as QI reports.
• Only 19.2% of QI reports used actual QI implementation designs.
• A significant majority (58.9%) used pre/post quasi-experimental research designs, not QI methods.

Conclusions:

• This study quantifies the significant misalignment between stated and actual methods in QI reports.
• There is a critical need for improved distinction between QI and research designs and methods.
• Academic leaders, clinicians, reviewers, and editors must ensure accurate reporting of QI and research.