ScHARR Masterclass: Evaluating QI projects: reflections from QI practitioners

Master class: reflections from QI practitioners on evaluating improvement

Spreadsheets on the table and two pairs of hands

About this Event

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Connecting to integrate QI and evaluation practice

This event is the second in a series of master classes and virtual study groups that aim to provide insight and learning about the practice of QI evaluation in healthcare. This master class offers the opportunity to learn from the experiences of four QI practitioners from across the UK who have evaluated QI projects.

The session will involve a series of short presentations from our QI experts, two breakout sessions in smaller groups to explore the key opportunities and challenges with evaluating QI, and a facilitated Q&A with our presenters.

This event is particularly relevant to those involved in the day-to-day design and delivery of QI projects and programmes across the health sector.

Agenda for the event

12:00 Welcome and introduction

Introduction to the ‘Connecting to integrate QI and evaluation practice’ program

Introduction to our speakers

12:05 Session 1

Presentations from Sharon Wiener-Ogilvie and Sara Marsden

  • Sharon Wiener-Ogilvie, from Healthcare Improvement Scotland, will share the work done with Health and Social Care Moray evaluating a new community nursing model in the Forres Area.
  • Sara Marsden will present on Value Management; a national collaborative that aims to test and spread an innovative model that supports clinical, care and finance teams to apply quality improvement methods.

Small group breakout session

12:35 Session 2

Presentations from Sonia Lee and Helen Seers

  • Sonia Lee, from Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, will talk about the evidence and experience of evaluating quality improvement in the SHAREHD programme.
  • Helen Seers will reflect on her experience as a Q Evaluation SIG mentor for the Q Exchange project, with focus on her experience of supporting the Churchdown project in Gloucestershire

Small group breakout session

13:15 Close

This event will be recorded and will be run using MS Teams.

Introduction to Connecting to integrate Quality Improvement (QI) and evaluation practice

Aims and objectives:

The program is linked to the Health Foundations Q Communities Evaluation Special Interest Group (SIG) and is funded from the Q Communities “Connecting Communities” fund. The aim is to connect QI and evaluation practice and practitioners, and the objectives are to:

  • Increase connections, networks and build relationships between evaluators and quality improvement practitioners and researchers across health and social care (and beyond)
  • Identify ways of bridging the gap between evaluation and quality improvement practice
  • Increase knowledge and practical skills in evaluation in relation to QI
  • Develop a guide and tools to support evaluation of QI programmes

Background to the programme:

The team at the School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield is led by Dr Steven Ariss. The project team includes: Dr Karen Ritchie (Healthcare Improvement Scotland), Dr Emma Gibbard (University of Bath), Dr John Richmond, Jennifer Read, Anna Cantrell and Alf Theodorou.

Evaluation of quality improvement programmes remains challenging for QI practitioners, as appropriate evaluation methods for such programmes continue to be developed and are primarily the domain of academic researchers rather than those working within health and care environments. The SIG aims to bridge the researcher/QI practitioner divide, to provide practical support for QI practitioners and help them evaluate their programmes.

To date the SIG has provided opportunities for learning and exchange through Webinar sessions, face to face workshop/networking event, mentoring and skill-sharing. Participants in the SIG identified priorities for future activities of the group, these included:

  • More training and development
  • Evaluation toolkit or guide for using QI tools and approaches to plan and deliver evaluations.

Both of these priorities, and others, highlighted the need to find ways to bridge the disciplinary barriers of evaluation and quality improvement practice.

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