Quality Improvement

Quality Improvement in the Department of Medicine

Clear and Conhesive 3-year Quality Improvement Work Plan (2025-2028)

Quality Improvement Work Plan

1. Develop a culture of continuous quality improvement
2. Build capacity of QI initiatives and expertise
3. Enhance health outcomes by implementing and measuring evidence based practice

Will your project test different approaches to solve a problem?

Submit your idea!

2025 Department of Medicine Innovation and Quality Improvement intake is now OPEN! Submit your proposal by February 28th at 11:59PM!

We support transformational ideas within the Department of Medicine. At the same time, the DOM recognizes the current fiscal realities. To create change we must also look at what it is we no longer need, find efficiencies, and find opportunities for cost savings.

Quality Improvement - Training opportunities and Resources

Resources

The Physician Quality Improvement (PQI) program

What is PQI?

The Physician Quality Improvement (PQI) program at VCH and PHC is a province wide initiative and a partnership between Vancouver Coastal Health, Providence Health Care, and the Specialist Services Committee (SSC). It is designed to address gaps in quality structures relating to physician participation in quality improvement (QI) activities. The VCH/PHC PQI initiative provides sessional funding and an opportunity for physicians from VCH and PHC, as well as those working in the community (for example, at privately owned clinics) for in-depth learning about QI theory and tools, and an opportunity to conduct their own QI project. The goal of PQI aims to enhance physician QI capability and foster a continuous learning culture within the physician community.

What do we offer?

We offer three options in your path to becoming a QI champion:

Level 1: IHI Open School and Video. IHI Open School offers…
Level 2: Intermediate Training. Sign up and attend….
Level 3: Advanced Cohort Training. Our flagship training…
QI Coaching. Book an appointment to speak with our team about QI...
Additional QI Funding Opportunities. An overview of PQI opportunities...

PHC Quality Improvement Team

Who we are

We are a team with a passion to improve patient safety and the quality of care. We come from a variety of backgrounds, including medicine, nursing, economics, engineering, statistics, pharmacy, physiotherapy and physiology.

What we do

Driven by a data, we identify opportunities to improve the quality of care and experience for residents, patients, families, friends, and caregivers. Sources of information include, for example, the PHC Quality & Safety dashboards, patient and resident experience surveys, case reviews, NSQIP and Patient Safety Learning System (PSLS) reports.

Using a structured approach, we lead or support all phases and aspects of improvement initiatives, including, for example:

Defining the problem and determining the best approach to solve it.
Assembling a team, engaging stakeholders, and defining the project scope and timeline.
Investigating the current state and developing a measurement plan.
Creating work plans with clear deliverables.
Designing and testing ideas for improvement.
Implementing and sustaining changes.
Spreading improvement.
Promoting and facilitating the application of the Model for Improvement, PHC's QI Framework and QI tools such as the cause-effect diagram, process map, driver diagram, and 5 whys.

Here are some examples of initiatives the QI Team has supported: QI Projects

We also deliver a training program, the Quality Improvement Challenge (QI Challenge) for all PHC staff and providers interested in gaining introductory QI knowledge and skill to make lasting improvement in their work environment. We also collaborate with the VCH/PHC Physician Led Quality Improvement (PLQI) training program to support physicians in their QI projects.

nsuring PHC can demonstrate compliance with Accreditation Canada Standards is also part of our core work. PHC was granted 'Exemplary' Standing in 2013, 2017 and 2022.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, please contact:

Ramses Prado, Senior Performance Improvement Consultant: rprado@providencehealth.bc.ca