In this course, you develop an organizational quality improvement (QI) plan for a health care organization of your choice. Organize the plan as you would present it to the organization's board of directors for approval. Use the following outline as a guide when developing your plan.

Goals/Objectives: Describe what goals the organization has to meet its mission. These are principles that shape how the organization views and achieves quality. Examples may involve the concepts of safety, effectiveness, timeliness, and patient centeredness. This section must be approximately half a page.

Scope/Description/QI Activities: Describe what departments, programs, and activities are affected by the plan and why they are involved in its implementation. This section must be approximately half a page.

Data Collection Tools: Describe the type of performance data to be collected and why that data is focused on. Describe why each data collection and display tool was selected for the QI plan. This section must range from half a page to a full page.

QI Processes and Methodology: Describe the methodology and processes used to implement the plan. This must explain why each methodology and process are in the plan and why they were chosen. This section must range from half a page to a full page.

Comparative Databases, Benchmarks, and Professional Practice Standards: Describe what the organization will use as a standard to compare performance. This section must be one paragraph. This may be through a number of methods such as a comparative database or a competing organization's annual report.

Authority/Structure/Organization: Describe the authority structure of the plan's implementation. This must describe who is responsible for implementing the plan. Include a description of each role involved in the plan. This section must be approximately half a page:

• Board of directors
• Executive leadership
• Quality improvement committee
• Medical staff
• Middle management
• Department staff

Communication: Identify who the performance activity outcomes are communicated to and who does the communicating.

This describes who is responsible for overseeing data collection and preparing data reports. This section must be approximately one paragraph.

Education: Describe how staff will be educated regarding the plan. This covers how each staff member will be initially oriented to the plan and each employee fits into the plan based on job responsibilities. This section must be approximately one to two paragraphs.

Annual Evaluation: Describe what elements of the plan are annually evaluated for improvement. This section must be approximately one paragraph.