Re-thinking How We Teach Quality Improvement: Adding Meaning to an ACGME Requirement

Abstract

Background: Many residency programs have struggled to meaningfully meet the ACGME quality improvement (QI) requirements. Similarly, our residents were receiving limited QI education, and their longitudinal projects were ineffective. Aim: Create an integrated didactic and experiential learning environment that equips residents to become leaders of QI. Setting and Participants: Internal medicine (IM) residency program of 45 residents in a large community hospital. Program Description: This curriculum included eight content areas. Games, real-life application, and project celebrations cultivated engagement. Sessions occurred during residents’ 2-week outpatient rotations. Project development was standardized. Program Evaluation: The QI Knowledge Application Tool-Revised (QIKAT-R) and separate surveys were used before and after the curriculum’s implementation to evaluate resident QI knowledge and confidence, respectively. We also tracked QI scholarship and faculty engagement. Mean QIKAT-R scores improved significantly from 7.0 (SD 2.9) at baseline to 16.6 (SD 4.7) post-curriculum (n = 37 pairs, p = 0.043). Residents’ adverse event reporting increased from 44% (19/43) at baseline to 90% (28/31) post-curriculum. Seven presentations were accepted for local, regional, and national conferences, compared with one presentation the preceding year. Discussion: A QI curriculum can be successfully integrated in a “4 + 2” program.