Quality Improvement Projects and Indicators

Recognition of the significant gaps between the actual care patients routinely experience and the ideal standard of care has led to an increased focus on quality of care at all levels of our health-care system. Individual practitioners, clinics, and hospital systems are increasingly using quality improvement (QI) methods to increase the safety and effectiveness of care. Payors are requiring more information on quality metrics and providing incentives for improvement, while accrediting bodies are requiring quality improvement education to be a part of physician training. Physicians are often in an ideal role to lead quality improvement initiatives due to the unique combination of medical knowledge, direct patient care, and administrative roles they often hold. It is imperative that academic practices model the implementation of quality improvement projects and engage their residents in quality improvement activities so that they are prepared to lead future quality initiatives.