Quality Improvement / Change Proposal and Supporting Ethics Application -

Instructions: Prepare an evidenced based proposal for a quality improvement/change to be implemented in your organisation that involves stakeholders in the design, planning and/or evaluation of the initiative. This can be something you plan to do or is just composed for the purpose of the assessment, that is, you are not proposing to carry it out.

The proposal should be supported by a completed Ethics Application form. 

Proposal structure:

Use the following headings to structure your assignment. These are based on the SQUIRE guidelines.

1. Title

2. Introduction - Why are you proposing this quality improvement/change?

2.1. Problem Description - Nature and significance of the local problem

2.2. Available knowledge - Summary of what is currently known about the problem, including relevant previous studies (ensure critical review of relevant literature) 

2.3. Rationale - Informal or formal frameworks, models, concepts, and/or theories used to explain the problem, any reasons or assumptions that were used to develop the intervention(s), and reasons why the intervention(s) was expected to work. 

2.4. Specific aims - Purpose of the project and of this report 

3. Methods

3.1. Context - Contextual elements considered important at the outset of introducing the intervention(s)

3.2. Intervention:

3.2.1. Description of the intervention(s) in sufficient detail that others could reproduce it 

3.2.2. Specifics of the proposed team involved in the work (clearly indicating own role in team and methods to ensure participation of key stakeholders and users of services where relevant - addressing issues around co-design/co-creation)

3.3. Study of Intervention

3.3.1. Proposed approach chosen for assessing the impact of the intervention(s) 

3.3.2. Proposed approach to be used to establish whether the observed outcomes were due to the intervention(s)

3.4. Measures:

3.4.1. Proposed measures chosen for studying processes and outcomes of the intervention(s), including rationale for choosing them, their operational definitions, and their validity and reliability. Description of the proposed approach to the ongoing assessment of contextual elements that contributed to the success, failure, efficiency, and cost.

3.4.2. Proposed methods employed for assessing completeness and accuracy of data

3.5. Analysis:

3.5.1. Proposed qualitative and quantitative methods to draw inferences from the data 

3.5.2. Proposed methods for understanding variation within the data, including the effects of time as a variable 

3.6. Ethical Considerations:

3.6.1. Perceived ethical aspects of implementing and studying the intervention(s) and how you propose they will be addressed, including, but not limited to, formal ethics review and potential conflict(s) of interest

4. Limitations:

4.1. Potential limits to the generalizability/transferability of the work 

4.2. Factors that might have limited internal validity such as confounding, bias, or imprecision in the design, methods, measurement, or analysis 

4.3. Efforts that you propose to minimize and adjust for limitations 

5. Conclusions:

5.1. Proposed usefulness of the work 

5.2. Plan for the Feedback and/or Dissemination of the Findings 

5.3. Potential sustainability and spread to other contexts 

5.4. Proposed implications for practice 

Ethics application- Complete the ethics form available:

Complete the ethics form for the above proposal - you may cut and paste directly from your proposal when relevant  

Module aim:

The overall module aim is to advance healthcare professionals' knowledge of evaluation, measurement and research and to empower participants of this module to choose the right methods for the task at hand. Sub-aims are to encourage healthcare professionals

(i) to ensure a strong evidence-based function within their services,

(ii) to involve service users in the planning and evaluation of services,

(iii) to obtain feedback in an ethically appropriate manner, and

(iv) to consider how data can be leveraged to inform and embed positive change within health and social care organisations.  

Learning outcomes: 

On successful completion of this module students will be able to:

1. Critically discuss the importance of evaluation, measurement and research in managing healthcare and/or quality and safety in healthcare.

2. Critically evaluate papers, especially quality improvement and research reports relevant to your field. 

3. Critically assess key approaches to evaluation, measurement and research in healthcare. 

4. Demonstrate an ethical approach in the design, conduct and evaluation of a quality improvement intervention involving service users. 

5. Critically discuss how to evaluate quality improvement/change in a healthcare organisation. 

6. Critically discuss how data can be leveraged to inform change within health and social care organisations. 

Components: Proposal (2,500 words +/- 10%)

Ethics Application Form (Word Count N/A)

Attachment:- Assignment Files.rar