| Data Infastructure |
Extent to which a system exists to collect, manage, and facilitate the use of data needed to support performance improvement |
| Environment |
The community and society surrounding your organization. It includes the geographical, political, and economic environment in which your organization (or office) exists and the associated regulations, policies, payment structures, etc. |
| External Motivators |
Environmental pressures and incentives that stimulate the organisation to improve its performance and quality in the area of focus of this QI project |
| External Project Sponsorship |
Substantial and meaningful contributions of personnel, expertise, money, equipment, facilities, or other important resources from outside entities (external to the organisation) with formal relationships with this QI project |
| Microsystem |
A small group of people working together on a regular basis to provide care to discrete populations of patients. Microsystems may include doctor’s offices or clinics, hospital units, hospital wards, or departments within a business/billing office |
| Microsystem Leaders |
Top managers with responsibility for the operation and administration of the microsystem affected by this QI project. Microsystem leaders may include department or division chairs, department managers, ward/unit medical or nursing directors, business unit managers, a senior physician in a large physician group, etc. |
| Microsystem Motivation |
Extent to which microsystem staff members have a desire and willingness to improve performance in this area of focus |
| Microsystem QI Capability |
Microsystem staff’s ability to use QI methods for change |
| Microsystem QI Culture |
Values, beliefs, and norms present in the microsystem that emphasise teamwork, communication, freedom to make decisions, and commitment to improve |
| Microsystem QI Leadership |
Microsystem leadership capacity for improvement and degree to which they are personally involved in supporting and facilitating improvement efforts |
| Organization |
The largest collective unit that provides service to a population of patients. For inpatient services we are typically referring to a hospital, nursing home, or long term care facility. For services in the outpatient setting, the organization may be a health care plan, hospital, or health care system (e.g., HMO affiliated clinic, hospital affiliated clinic, integrated services organization, etc.) However, some outpatient settings (clinics or offices) are not part of a larger organization, and in this case, the organization may refer to your clinic/office/physician group. |
| Organizational QI Culture |
Values, beliefs, and norms of an organisation that shape the behaviours of staff in pursuing QI |
| Organizational QI Leadership |
Senior management’s (CEO, COO, CMO, Senior VP, Board of Directors) governance—guidance, support, oversight, and direction-setting—of improvement efforts |
| Physician Payment Structure |
Physicians are employed and compensated by the organisation |
| QI Maturity |
Sophistication of the organisation’s QI program |
| QI Team |
A group of individuals that work together on the QI project. The team is defined by their shared goals and mutual accountability for the QI project outcome. QI team members are typically responsible for planning and conducting tests of change and/or data collection and management. Members of the QI team may include, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, data managers, administrative staff, etc. |
| QI Team Decision-Making Process |
Team engages in well-designed decision making practices |
| QI Team Diversity |
Diversity of team members with respect to professional discipline, personality, motivation, and perspective |
| QI Team Leader |
The member of the QI team that is responsible for directing the work of the team |
| QI Team Leadership |
Team leader’s ability to accomplish the goals of the improvement project through guiding the actions of the QI team |
| QI Team Norms |
Team establishes strong norms of behaviour related to how work is to be carried out and how goals are to be achieved |
| QI Team Physician Involvement |
Contribution of physicians to the QI team efforts |
| QI Team Prior Experience |
Prior experience with QI |
| QI Team QI Skill |
Team’s ability to use improvement methods to make changes |
| QI Team Subject Matter Expert |
One or more team members is knowledgeable about the outcome, process, or system being changed |
| QI Team Tenure |
Team members have worked together as a team before |
| QI Workforce Focus |
Degree to which the organisation develops the workforce through training and engages them in QI through reward systems and expectation setting |
| Resource Availability |
Degree to which financial support for QI, including allocation of resources and staff time, is provided |
| Senior Executives |
People with the overall responsibility for the operation and administration of the organization. Senior executives may hold various titles. At a hospital or HMO/Hospital affiliated clinic these may include: president, CEO, COO, members of the board of directors or cabinet, senior or vice president, or chairs or vice chairs of nursing or medicine. In a smaller office or clinic, these may include: senior partner or members of the partnership group. |
| Senior Leader Project Sponsor |
Senior leader commitment to champion and support this QI project |
| Task Strategic Importance to the Organization |
Work perceived as part of the organisation’s strategic goals |
| Triggering Event |
Presence of a specific event (positive or negative) that stimulates a new emphasis on improving quality in the area of focus of a given QI project |