Planning a Quality Improvement Project

A Performance/Quality Improvement (PQI) activity is a 3-stage process of designing, implementing, and evaluating a Quality Improvement (QI) project individually or as a team.

Are you working with UNMH Quality Outcomes on your project? If so, CPL collaborates with Quality Outcomes to help ensure team members earn CME credit for their learning as participants in the project.

Begin by submitting the application form. Then submit an additional form at each of three milestones:

 Stage A – Determine the current state and improvement need

Stage B – Design and implement an intervention

Stage C – Evaluate the impact of your intervention

You (alone or with project colleagues) will submit each form separately as each stage is completed. There is no required timeline for completion and CME credits are provided after each stage.

1. Activity Planning: Providing basic information about your project

When completing this form (below) you provide names and contact information for project participants, the project title, disclosures of relevant financial relationships (RFR), and other general information.

2. Stage A: Learning from current practice performance assessment (5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^TM upon completion)

In Stage A, you will define a problem or opportunity for improvement, assess the current state, establish the scope of the expected change, and establish a baseline of performance/process measures you expect to see improve as a result of your project. Participants will be actively involved in data collection, analysis, and reporting.

3. Stage B: Learning from the application of PQI to patient care (5 additional AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^TM upon completion)

In Stage B, you will plan and implement an intervention based on the Stage A analysis. Learning occurs through the process of designing the intervention. You will provide a detailed description of the intervention along with the rationale for the intervention design.

4. Stage C: Learning from the evaluation of the PQI CME effort (10 additional AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^TM upon completion)

In Stage C, you will compare post-intervention performance to the baseline you established in Stage A. You will report changes in practice, process and/or outcomes that resulted from your PQI activity.

 Further Information from the AMA