title: Publication guidelines for quality improvement studies in health care: evolution of the SQUIRE project.
abstract: In 2005 we published draft guidelines for reporting studies of quality improvement interventions as the initial step in a consensus process for development of a more definitive version. The current article contains the revised version, which we refer to as SQUIRE (Standards for QUality Improvement Reporting Excellence). We describe the consensus process, which included informal feedback, formal written commentaries, input from publication guideline developers, review of the literature on the epistemology of improvement and on methods for evaluating complex social programs, and a meeting of stakeholders for critical review of the guidelines' content and wording, followed by commentary on sequential versions from an expert consultant group. Finally, we examine major differences between SQUIRE and the initial draft, and consider limitations of and unresolved questions about SQUIRE; we also describe ancillary supporting documents and alternative versions under development, and plans for dissemination, testing, and further development of SQUIRE.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Wethersfield, CT 06109, USA. fdavidoff@cox.net
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Davidoff
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Batalden
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: Greg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ogrinc
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mooney
mesh_terms: D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D035081:Editorial Policies; D017408:Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D010506:Periodicals as Topic / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends