Domains associated with successful quality improvement in healthcare - a nationwide case study.

Background: There is a distinct difference between what we know and what we do in healthcare: a gap that is impairing the quality of the care and increasing the costs. Quality improvement efforts have been made worldwide by learning collaboratives, based on recognized continual improvement theory with limited scientific evidence. The present study of 132 quality improvement projects in Norway explores the conditions for improvement from the perspectives of the frontline healthcare professionals, and evaluates the effectiveness of the continual improvement method.

Development and Validation of the CPO Scale, a New Instrument for Evaluation of Health Care Improvement Efforts.

Objective: To develop and validate an instrument for guidance and evaluation of quality and safety improvement efforts in health care.

Context: The instrument is based on the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle and the 3 fundamental improvement questions regarding aims, measurement, and change-making.

Methods: An interdisciplinary team of improvement experts developed the Change Process and Outcome (CPO) scale.

Three success factors for continual improvement in healthcare: an analysis of the reports of improvement team members.

Introduction: The objectives of the Breakthrough Series Collaborative are to close the gap between what we know and what we do, and to contribute to continuous quality improvement (CQI) of healthcare through collaborative learning. The improvement efforts are guided by a systematic approach, combining professional and improvement knowledge.

Objectives: To explore what the improvement teams have learnt from participating in the collaborative and from dealing with promoting and inhibiting factors encountered.