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Overview

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​Improvement Capability – Ensuring that improvement science drives our work and that we extend the reach and impact of the improvement community

The science of improvement is at the heart of IHI’s work, and IHI continues to develop and test novel methods to rapidly and sustainably improve outcomes. The Model for Improvement and collaborative learning and improvement anchor our approach to project design and evaluation, implementation, spread, and scale-up in diverse environments and contexts.

We work with a wide range of individuals, professional groups, organizations, and whole systems, to help them secure the right “dose” of improvement capability to drive results. We are developing vibrant, IT-enabled, and sustainable learning networks to accelerate implementation, spread, and scale-up of innovative approaches to improving health outcomes. No matter what area of health or health care improvement one is working on, improvement capability is foundational and crucial to success. 

IHI’s focus on improvement capability includes:

  • Building science-based improvement capability at individual, organizational, and system levels;
  • Arming future doctors and nurses and others preparing for careers in health care with quality improvement knowledge and skills before they enter the workforce;
  • Expanding the capability of middle managers and other operational leaders to use advanced improvement methods to guide and support front-line improvement;
  • Developing learning networks to accelerate implementation, spread, and scale-up of innovative approaches to improving health outcomes;
  • Providing a clear roadmap for how organizations using Lean and Six Sigma can use the science of improvement to accelerate results; and
  • Providing individuals, professional groups, organizations, and whole systems with the right “dose” of improvement capability to drive results.