Education
Improving health outcomes through education
We strive be a community that is simultaneously learner-focused and patient-centered. At a large academic health system such as the UC Davis, our actions have the potential to influence the careers of tens of thousands of young people. Not adequately equipping these individuals to be effective change agents would be a tragic missed opportunity. We have an energized and activated group of students, trainees and clinicians at UC Davis that make up a large workforce of potential QI practitioners. They provide insights into system problems, identify variations in care and opportunities for improvement, and can successfully and sustainably modify pathways of care.
Quality Improvement Education Resources
Topics in Health Care Improvement (MDS 486, Winter, 0.5 units, IOR: Shaikh)
2-day course (1.5 days of seminars + ½ day UC Davis annual Quality Forum). The course will primarily use a discussion-based format and provide a broad multidisciplinary perspective on healthcare improvement. Additionally, learners who are interested in further exploring topics will have the opportunity to network with potential mentors at UCDHS to develop future QI projects aligned with UCDHS priorities. Topics include quality improvement (QI) methods, team-based care, patient safety, Lean and Six Sigma in healthcare, population health, and measuring/comparing performance of health care providers and organizations.
Improving Quality in Health Care (MDS/NRS 493A, Fall, 4 units, IOR: Bakerjian)
This inter-professional course is designed for medical, nursing, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, informatics, and public health students as well as residents, post-doctoral fellows, faculty and staff. Learners, working in interdisciplinary teams, explore the theory and practical methods employed to make improvement in healthcare systems. The process of identifying health systems problems, conducting root cause analyses, and designing, implementing, and evaluating QI is emphasized. Additionally, specific challenges to sustaining improvement are discussed. Clinical and organizational case studies and seminars involving underserved and diverse populations and patient-centered care will guide learners toward understanding elements for improvement and identifying and eliminating barriers to change. The course will cover fundamentals of QI and the opportunity to work within initiatives at UCDHS to identify a clinical problem that needs improvement and to conduct a literature review to ascertain evidence related to that problem.
Enhancing Patient Safety in Health Care (MDS/NRS 493C, Spring, 4 units. IORs: Bakerjian, Natale)
This inter-professional course is designed for medical, nursing, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, informatics, and public health students as well as residents, post-doctoral fellows, faculty and staff at UC Davis. Learners, working in interdisciplinary teams, will explore the theory and practical methods currently employed to improve patient safety in health care. The process of understanding patient safety from a patient-centered perspective will be emphasized. Additional focus will be placed on understanding the context of care, human factors, a culture of safety, and the professional responsibility of health care providers in improving patient safety. Various case studies will be used for students to explore patient safety issues in a broad range of settings, as well as from social, clinical, cost, value, and other organizational systems perspectives.
Select Institute for Healthcare Improvement Open School online courses (approx. 10 hours)
IHI open school website »
QI 101: Fundamentals of Improvement, 1 hour 15 minutes
QI 102: The Model for Improvement: Your Engine for Change, 1 hour 30 minutes
QI 103: Measuring for Improvement, 1 hour
QI 104: The Life Cycle of a Quality Improvement Project, 1 hour 30 minutes
QI 106: Mastering PDSA Cycles and Run Charts, 2 hours
PS 100: Introduction to Patient Safety, 1 hour 30 minutes
QCV 101: Achieving Breakthrough Quality, Access, and Affordability, 1 hour 45 minutes