The Institute of Medicine’s 1999 report, To Err is Human, attributed medical errors to 98,000 preventable deaths annually in U.S. hospitals; subsequent analysis estimated over 210,000 preventable deaths. As a result, emphasis has been placed on education to promote patient safety and quality care. Within graduate medical education, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requires residents to participate in quality improvement and patient safety programs. Many programs have expressed difficulty implementing and sustaining quality improvement (QI) initiatives due to limited faculty education.
The Institute for Continuing Professional Development in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (I-QIPS) at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) serves to develop educational offerings at the beginner, intermediate, and advanced learning levels. I-QIPS' aim for this educational initiative is to develop a curriculum to educate BCM and affiliated faculty on quality improvement and patient safety principles to educate trainees, model effective care, promote high value quality care, and foster a culture of patient safety. We believe the academic mission of innovation and scholarship can be advanced across all faculty QI training levels.
The overall educational goal of this advanced-level certificate program is to provide hands-on QI training and experience at both the project and leadership levels of healthcare improvement initiatives. The program is designed for learners with introductory to intermediate knowledge of healthcare improvement and who want to lead change within their healthcare system. Further, it is for those who have a particular interest in obtaining applied experience in the principles of improvement science, as well as in pursuing additional training in leading healthcare improvement initiatives. Learn more...
The overall educational goal of this foundational-level QI training course is to provide beginner-level learners with knowledge and skills in the science of improvement and patient safety for the purpose of enabling them, regardless of their roles, to actively participate in QI initiatives at the department level within their institutions. The course is comprised of a series of online, self-paced learning resources designed for basic QI training. Learn more...
The overall educational goal of this intermediate-level QI training course is to provide learners with exposure and hands-on experience in QI and patient safety. The course is designed for learners with an introductory knowledge of the concepts of quality improvement and patient safety, but who would benefit from hands-on experience in applying the learned principles to improve their healthcare practices and to mentor trainees. It is not recommended for those who require a more advanced training program, such as those who are leading QI initiatives or have senior QI administrative roles. Learn more...
The overall educational goal of this advanced-level QI training course is to develop leaders of interprofessional improvement teams within their clinical settings. The course emphasizes leading healthcare improvements and innovations with an implementation strategy that combines QI or change management techniques. Further, it is designed for learners with intermediate to advanced knowledge of the concepts of quality improvement and patient safety, and who have or will have responsibilities for leading QI initiatives or have other relevant senior QI administrative roles. Learn more...
In partnership with conference organizers, the Institute for Continuing Professional Development in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (I-QIPS) at BCM provides opportunities for learners enrolled in I-QIPS training courses to participate in Poster Sessions associated with the annual quality conferences featured below to showcase their QI projects being developed through the courses and implemented in clinical areas across the College and affiliated institutions. The posters are also developed as part of the coursework and presented during final course sessions.
As part of the QI Jump Start intermediate-level training course, enrolled learners have an opportunity (if selected by conference organizers) to present their posters at the annual BCM Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Conference scheduled for the respective year. Likewise, as part of the Leading Healthcare Improvement advanced-level training course, enrolled learners have an opportunity to present their posters at the annual VA Quality Scholars Summer Institute Conference scheduled for the respective year, provided that the conference is held in Houston that year. This participation not only provides an opportunity for learners to develop and showcase/disseminate their improvement efforts, but it also provides for them (along with other conference attendees) a unique opportunity to become aware of and learn from other improvement initiatives being conducted by their colleagues across the College and its affiliated institutions.
Hosted by the I-QIPS, the annual conference is held in Houston, TX, and seeks to educate attendees on topics such as care coordination, health information technology to reduce errors, professionalism to improve patient safety, quality improvement in an ambulatory setting, and ethical concerns with quality improvement projects. As a leader in quality and safety, BCM is uniquely positioned to begin the regional dialogue regarding quality improvement and patient safety strategies for all attendees.
Information regarding the 2023 conference provided below. Details for the 2024 annual conference to be announced when available.
Physician and physician assistant poster authors/co-authors AND other team members (non-poster authors) of the QI project featured in a qualified poster presented at the conference may be eligible to earn continuing certification/maintenance of certification (MOC) credit/points through the BCM MOC Program.
If approved, MOC Part 4 (Improvements in Medical Practice) credit is issued to physicians by participating Member Boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). Likewise, NCCPA Category 1 Performance Improvement Continuing Medical Education (PI-CME) credit is issued to physician assistants by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).
To Request Credit: At the conclusion of the poster presentation/conference, interested physicians/physician assistants should: 1) ensure they meet submission and poster eligibility criteria, and 2) submit their requests for credit consideration by the noted deadline. Requests for credit must be submitted directly by EACH individual physician/PA seeking credit; no group/team submissions accepted. | Deadline: Sunday, June 30, 2023 | Learn More - View Eligibility Criteria, Request Credit...
The Association of American Medical Colleges Teaching for Quality (Te4Q) Program was held at Baylor College of Medicine as a two-part program:
Videos (including accompanying handout materials, resources, and tools) from the BootCamp and Workshop sessions are available in the Video Library.