Duke University's Quality and Innovation Scholars Program (QISP) matches students with physicians and leaders in the Duke Health System to carry out health care improvement projects. So far, the program has reached almost 70 students. In the following interview, Chapter leaders Kathryn Hutchins and Maria Andrews explain how the Chapter got the program off the ground and how other Chapters can create their own practicum. OS How did the Quality and Innovation Scholars Program (QISP) get started? ... read full post

Lisa Miller, an MPH student at Oregon Health and Sciences University, recently completed the IHI Open School Practicum. Her project focused on helping clinic staff at a primary care clinic document patients’ social needs in the electronic medical record, so that clinic staff could address them along with patients’ medical needs. The project was a success (by the end of the work, 100 percent of patients seen by behavioral health staff had their social needs documented in the designated chart loca ... read full post

Rachel Hathaway, MD, is an internal medicine resident at the Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA). During the last academic year, she and seven other residents participated in a pilot initiative to teach residents how to apply quality improvement methodology through hands-on, year-long projects. The group was fortunate to work with Dr. Maren Batalden — the daughter of legendary quality improver Paul Batalden — who served as mentor and course director. We asked Rachel some questions about the team’s e ... read full post

The first table I saw in Omaha had a steak on it. As a matter of fact, it had two – one for my host on the trip, Dr. Thomas Hansen, and one, fortunately, for me. (For the record, I really, really like steak. A lot.) The waitress, who delivered the world-famous thick cuts, asked us if we needed anything else, smiled at my excitement, and then left us to enjoy our dinners. I raised my knife and fork, and prepared my eager taste buds for the first mouth-watering bite … The second table I saw in Om ... read full post

Getting started can be the hardest part of any endeavor, and starting an IHI Open School Chapter is no exception. To some of us, this may seem like a no-brainer. Don’t we all want to improve care? Shouldn’t connecting with each other be a natural way to stay motivated and begin make positive changes? While this may be true, conflicting schedules and priorities, busy faculty, and limited resources can all be roadblocks to getting and staying involved. The IHI Open School wants to make this easi ... read full post