Evaluation of Changes in Quality Improvement Knowledge Following a Formal Educational Curriculum Within a Statewide Learning Collaborative.

OBJECTIVE

Our objectives were to (1) develop a curriculum based upon participants' needs, (2) evaluate baseline QI knowledge of the Illinois Surgical Quality Improvement Collaborative (ISQIC) members, and (3) evaluate the effectiveness of the educational curriculum.

DESIGN

The Surgeon Champion (SC), Surgical Clinical Reviewer (SCR), and QI Designee at each ISQIC hospital completed a QI curriculum containing online modules and in-person trainings. A surgical adaptation of QI-KAT, a validated QI knowledge assessment with multiple-choice and free-response sections, was administered pre- and postcurriculum. Three blinded educators scored each exam using a rubric-based scoring tool (54 total points).

SETTING

The ISQIC is a 52-hospital learning collaborative. Generally, ISQIC participants had little prior formal training or experience with quality improvement.

RESULTS

Among 52 hospitals, 144 pretests and 112 post-tests were collected. Mean scores increased from 66% (35.6 points) to 77% (41.6 points; p < 0.001). Across all hospitals, all participant groups scored higher on the post-test (SCs 15%, SCRs 21%, QI Designees 17%). There was no significant difference in post-test mean scores among different team members: SCs 44 points, SCRs 42 points, QI Designees 44 points, (p = 0.76). When the post-test scores were aggregated at the hospital level, hospitals with new surgical QI programs improved more than hospitals with established programs (new 18%, established 11%, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

QI knowledge significantly improved after completion of the ISQIC curriculum. These data support the value of formalized curricula to rapidly advance QI knowledge and application skills as a foundation for implementing QI initiatives.