This white paper includes:

• Framework for Governance of Health System Quality: A clear, actionable framework for oversight of all the dimensions of quality.
• Governance of Quality Assessment: A tool for trustees and health system leaders to evaluate and score current quality oversight processes and assess progress in improving board quality oversight over time.
• Three Support Guides: Three central knowledge area support guides for governance of quality (Core Quality Knowledge, Core Improvement System Knowledge, and Board Culture and Commitment to Quality), which health system leaders and governance educators can use to advance their education for trustees.

The framework, assessment tool, and support guides strive to reduce variation in and clarify trustee responsibilities for quality oversight, and also provide practical tools for trustees and the health system leaders who support them to govern quality in a way that will deliver better care to patients and communities.

The related Research Summary document provides an in-depth assessment of the current state of board governance of quality and trustee education in support of quality.

How to Cite This Paper: Daley Ullem E, Gandhi TK, Mate K, Whittington J, Renton M, Huebner J. Framework for Effective Board Governance of Health System Quality. IHI White Paper. Boston, Massachusetts: Institute for Healthcare Improvement; 2018. (Available on ihi.org)

​Video Playlist: Governance of Quality

Six short videos highlight different learning scenarios for trustees to better understand quality from a patient-centered point of view and the trustee’s role in overseeing quality in the health system.

Summary of the Framework for Effective Board Governance of Health System Quality