Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the IHI Open School Change Agent Network

  • What is I-CAN?
  •  
    The IHI Open School Change Agent Network (I-CAN) is a community of learners from diverse backgrounds, disciplines, and geographies who are committed to applying leadership and community organizing skills to improve health and health care in their local settings. 
  • In our initial campaign between September 2014 and December 2015, I-CAN engaged over 35,000 change agents in actions to improve health.
  • How do I get involved in I-CAN?
    There are three ways you can get involved in I-CAN:
    1. Pledge to support I-CAN. You can do this now on the I-CAN website.
    2. Learn and engage your community in improving health through our I-CAN Activity Pages.

    3. Lead a project and enroll in the online course, Leadership and Organizing for Change. 

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   PROJECTS:
  • Can you give me an example of an I-CAN Project? What is the difference between a quality improvement project and a community organizing project?
    We have two project-based learning offerings in the Open School — Leadership  Organizing for Change, and a Quality Improvement Practicum that walks learners through how to set up and execute a health care improvement project. This chart provides additional details about the differences between the two offerings:  
   QI 201: Guide to the IHI Open School Quality Improvement Practicum
    I-CAN Course, Leadership and  Organizing for Change
 
  • Walks students through the process of conducting a quality improvement project
  • Calls on learner understanding of improvement science
  • Focus on improving care process for patients
 
 
  • Walks learners through the process of leveraging leadership and community organizing skills to improve health and health care in their local setting
  • Teaches organizing as a leadership practice
 
   Project Examples:
 
  • Improving medicine reconciliation on admission
  • Reducing wait times in an emergency room
  • Improving hand hygiene compliance rates within a unit
 
    For more information, please visit the Practicum website.
 
   Project Examples:
 
  • Contacting 100,000 uninsured residents in a state to educate them about their health care insurance options
  • Working with retail pharmacies to offer student- and resident-led wellness consultations with customers on smoking cessation, safe sex practices, and other healthy behaviors
  • Building strategic relationships with community organizations to offer student-led community cooking classes, health screenings, or educational seminars
 

 

Please contact the IHI Open School with any further questions at openschool@ihi.org.