title: Innovative health systems projects.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Residency programmes struggle with the systems-based practice and improvement competency promoted by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. The development of Innovative Health Systems Projects (IHelP) was driven by the need for better systems-based initiatives at an institutional level. Our objective was to develop a novel approach that successfully incorporates systems-based practice in our Graduate Medical Education (GME) programmes, while tracking our impact on health care delivery as an academic medical centre.
  
  
  METHODS
  We started the IHelP programme as a 'volunteer initiative' in 2010. A detailed description of the definition, development and implementation of the IHelP programme, along with our experience of the first year, is described. Residents, fellows and faculty mentors all played an important role in establishing the foundation of this initiative. Following the positive response, we have now incorporated IHelP into all curricula as a graduating requirement. IHelP has promoted scholarly activity and faculty mentorship, [and] has improved aspects of patient care and safety
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 123 residents and fellows, representing 26 specialties, participated. We reviewed 145 projects that addressed topics ranging from administrative and departmental improvements to clinical care algorithms. The projects by area of focus were: patient care - clinical care, 38 per cent; patient care - quality, 27 per cent; resident education, 21 per cent; and a cumulative 16 per cent among pharmacy, department activities, patient education, medical records and clinical facility.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We are pleased with the results of our first year of incorporating a systems-based improvement programme into the GME programmes. This initiative has promoted scholarly activity and faculty mentorship, has improved aspects of patient care and safety, and has led to the development of many practical innovations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Hahnemann University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Mansoor
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amad
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Woodland
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers / Q000458:organization & administration*; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003142:Communication; D019091:Critical Pathways; D003479:Curriculum; D006739:Hospital Administration; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019359:Knowledge; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D058996:Quality Improvement; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D018511:Systems Integration