Institute for Healthcare Improvement
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
IHI’s QI Essentials Toolkit includes the tools and templates you need to launch a successful quality improvement project and manage performance improvement. Each of the ten tools can be used with the Model for Improvement, Lean, or Six Sigma, and includes a short description, instructions, an example, and a blank template.
The QI tools include:
- Cause and Effect Diagram: Also known as the Ishikawa or fishbone diagram, this tool helps you analyze the root causes contributing to an outcome.
- Failure Modes and Effects Analysis: Also used in Lean management and Six Sigma, FMEA is a systematic, proactive method for identifying potential risks and their impact.
- Run Charts: These charts help you monitor performance over time.
- PDSA Worksheet: Plan-Do-Study-Act rapid-cycle testing helps teams assess whether a change leads to improvement using a methodical learning process.
Download the complete toolkit with all ten tools, or download individual tools as you need them to guide your continuous improvement work.
*NOTE: Before filling out the templates, first save the PDF files to your computer. Then open and use that version of the tool. Otherwise, your changes will not be saved.