Leading healthcare improvement: an implementation strategy.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Improvement
• Medical Education
• Leadership Development

Background:

• Healthcare professionals often initiate quality improvement (QI) projects without adequate training for sustained implementation.
• Existing training gaps hinder effective leadership in healthcare improvement initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the Leading Healthcare Improvement (LHI) course as an implementation strategy.
• To assess the impact of LHI training on clinicians' self-reported confidence in QI competencies.

Main Methods:

• The LHI course is a 6-session, 4-month interactive training program focused on QI project work.
• A Wilcoxon signed-rank test analyzed pre- and post-course confidence levels in five QI competencies.

Main Results:

• 70 clinicians and fellows completed both pre- and post-course evaluations.
• Significant increases in self-reported confidence were observed across all five QI competencies, including communication, team leadership, vision setting, barrier removal, and impact communication (p < 0.001 for all).

Conclusions:

• The LHI course serves as an effective implementation strategy curriculum for healthcare professionals.
• LHI training has the potential to enhance the capacity for sustained healthcare improvement by focusing on key partnerships, teamwork, and practical application.