title: Advancing Quality Improvement in Public Health Departments Through a Statewide Training Program.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the effectiveness of an ongoing statewide public health quality improvement training program (PH QI 101) among 4 cohorts of training participants.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a mixed-method evaluation of the PH QI 101 training program that included measures of participants' satisfaction, learning, behavior change, and participants' translation and spread to their organizations what was learned. Data analysis included descriptive quantitative statistics and qualitative reviews. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to examine changes in participants' confidence to conduct a QI project from pre- to posttraining and 6 months posttraining.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred two staff members from 37 North Carolina local health departments.
  
  
  METHODS
  An 8-month experiential learning process in which participants learn to use QI methods by applying them to a specific project.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More than 90% of participants reported satisfaction with the program. Median scores on perceived self-confidence to conduct a QI project significantly increased for all training waves. At least 85% of participants reported spreading QI tools to coworkers posttraining. Two-thirds of participants in 3 waves reported that the QI project conducted during the training was at the sustaining results stage. Most participants in 3 of the training waves reported initiating new QI projects at their health department following training. Facilitators to implementation included interest and support from managers and leaders. Lack of interest and competing priorities among other staff were key barriers to implementation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This program successfully trained 4 waves of public health professionals in QI tools and methods. Leader training and involvement was a key addition to the adapted model. This statewide approach may serve as a model to other states as they seek to achieve national accreditation standards.
authors.affiliation: North Carolina Institute for Public Health, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (Dr Davis and Ms Mahanna); and Center for Public Health Quality, Raleigh, North Carolina (Mss Cornett and See and Dr Randolph).
authors.forename: Mary V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cornett
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mahanna
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: See
authors.forename: Greg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Randolph
mesh_terms: D000068:Accreditation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009657:North Carolina; D011634:Public Health / Q000379:methods*; D058996:Quality Improvement / Q000592:standards*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013663:Teaching / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*