Posted on: 11 March 2019
Taking the opportunity to learn from one another
One of the most frequent comments we get from staff who attend our Bitesize QI training sessions is, “It’s great to see examples of successful QI projects, and to learn from others.” This month’s applications have opened for two fantastic opportunities to learn from others. The Spring Learning Event on April 2, and Wave 2 of the Improvement Coach Development Programme. Details on how to apply are included below.
Wherever you are on your QI journey there are opportunities to become more involved. For those of you just starting out, why not register for Bitesize QI, a monthly half-day training session outlining the key components of the Model for Improvement.
Alternatively, for those happy to go it alone, the IHI modules QI101-QI105 offer excellent online training will give you what you need to get your project start.
QI project spotted on Twitter this month
Blood spot testing QI project at HMP Woodhill
A QI project team at HMP Woodhill has seen an increase in the rate of men accepting testing for HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C from approximately 20% to 60% and above, over a period of six months since the commencement of their project in April 2018. Moreover, they have sustained this improvement up to the present day, and are now giving all the men the opportunity to make an informed choice to decline the test if they so choose.
As a direct result of this project,
• 12 men have completed treatment for a previously undetected blood-borne virus
• Four men are undergoing treatment for a previously undetected blood-borne virus
• Four men have agreed to contact their GP for treatment after their release.
The project video is shared at the top of this page.
Diggory: MK Reducing the Length of Stay within Windsor Intermediate Care Unit (WICU) incorporating the Red2Green approach.
A QI project team in Milton Keynes has successfully achieved its aim to reduce the average length of stay for patients in WICU (a 19 bedded general rehabilitation unit) from an average of 28.6 to 25 days or less by 31 December 2018. The rationale behind this project was that sometimes patients spend days in hospital that do not directly contribute towards their discharge. The team predicted that by working better together, they could reduce the number of these wasted ‘red’ days, in favour of value-adding ‘green’ days.
They achieved this by implementing use of a whiteboard to monitor patient’s red and green days on a daily basis. This change idea provided an effective visual aid by which all staff could clearly see the patient’s journey on the unit. It resulted in improved flow of information between all members of the MDT, and provided live status following the completion of a patient intervention.
Other than two separate weeks in January 2019 and March 2019 WICU staff have seen a sustained reduction in length of stay. The two outlying weeks were directly attributable to a reduction in therapy input, and needing to accept patients that wouldn’t ordinarily meet the WICU inclusion criteria.
You can find out more about this project on Life QI here.
QI Learning Event 3: 2 April 2019 ‘Growing our QI community’
We are pleased to announce that applications for CNWL QI Learning Event on Tuesday 2 April 2019 are now open.
Our theme for this event is ‘Growing our QI community’ and we shall be presenting a mixture of external speakers, masterclasses and world café posters aimed at staff at all stages of their QI journey. As mentioned earlier, this is also a great opportunity to learn from one another.
Improvement Coaches Training Programme (Wave 2) application process now open.
We have now opened applications for Wave 2 of the Improvement Coach Development Programme. This programme is a four-month journey (starting in May) to further develop your improvement knowledge and skills. It will equip you to coach and facilitate quality improvement project teams, as well as support the implementation of quality improvement strategies throughout CNWL.
You will not be required to change your current role to that of a full-time quality improvement professional. Rather, the programme will develop your knowledge and skills in applying improvement science and will, in turn, complement your specific area of practice. Following the completion of the programme, the nominal expectation will be that you coach QI project teams within your service or locality for up to half a day a week.
This is an exciting opportunity to join the 30 coaches from Wave 1 as we build our QI capacity on CNWL’s QI journey.
To get the most from this programme, it is highly recommended that you have knowledge of and previous experience of applying quality improvement concepts, methods, and tools. You will also be interested in undertaking additional training in coaching skills, and in supporting quality improvement projects.
Please discuss your interest in applying for this course with your relevant Divisional Clinical QI Lead as they will need to endorse your application. Deadline for applications is 25 March 2019
The second cohort of this intensive and enjoyable training programme will commence in May, with three face to face workshops taking place 13-15 May, and the second series of three day workshops 15-17 July. The application process for the programme will be co-ordinated by Divisional QI Clinical Leads. It is a prerequisite of the programme that you must be available to attend all six of the face to face training days.
A message from Michele Dowling the new Diggory Division QI Clinical Lead!
Hello, I’m Michele Dowling, and as of the 1 March, I am the QI clinical lead for Diggory Division.
I am really pleased to have this opportunity to work with colleagues across Diggory to develop their QI skills and make a real difference to our patients and staff. I first started working in QI six years ago when I lived and worked in Scotland, and quickly became very passionate about how QI methods can make a real difference to how we work and how we support our patients, service users and carers.
In 2016 I moved to England and shortly after started working at HMP Woodhill (Milton Keynes) as Quality and Performance Manager. This has given me a new insight into working in Offender Care, as well as first-hand experience of working in a busy operational environment.
Over my first few weeks in the role I am hoping to meet as many people already involved in QI work across the Division. I’ve already met a few people working in Milton Keynes and I’m really looking forward to meeting more of you in MK and across the rest of the Division sooner rather than later.
Please get in touch! – Michele.dowling@nhs.net
QI Tip of the month: Using the Life QI Learning Centre
Recognise this icon?
You can find the Help Centre icon at the bottom right hand side every Life QI page. Click on it, and the Help Centre provides a wealth of material from basic ‘how to guides’ to more in-depth training material. The centre provides a wealth of material (over 100 articles) on how to use all aspects of the system.
We advise you to head to this resource as your first port of call as it answers many of the most commonly asked questions.
Moreover, as the Help Centre is laid out in the same order as the Life QI system itself, it is a logical and intuitive tool for training those who are new to the system.
Your QI Stories
If you have a QI poster or would like to share your learning in a video please get in touch.
IHI Open School and Life QI users
Here’s an update on numbers of live projects on Life QI .
o We now have 269 active projects on Life QI
o 971 staff have now registered on Life QI
o 30 QI projects have been completed on Life QI
You can see here that more of you have joined our Life QI community online:
