title: Residents' knowledge of quality improvement: the impact of using a group project curriculum.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education requires residents to learn and demonstrate proficiency in practice improvement. Quality improvement (QI) projects are a way to improve patient care as well as facilitate education on this core competency. There are inherent barriers to completing these goals in the structure of residency training including rigorous resident schedules and a limited number of projects and resources.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We developed a QI programme using an experiential class project and incorporated it into our Internal Medicine Resident Core Curriculum to improve the residents' knowledge of QI methods. We assessed the residents' experience, knowledge and interest in practice and QI subject matter with a survey preimplementation and postimplementation.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2009, 24 residents in the Internal Medicine resident programme completed a survey measuring their experience, knowledge and interest in QI initiatives. They then completed a QI 1-year programme, with monthly, 1-hour sessions combining didactics and a resident-designed project. At the conclusion of the year, the residents completed the same survey, and the results were compared and analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Postcurriculum questionnaires revealed residents were more knowledgeable about QI methods, showing improvement in knowledge about institutional-wide QI projects, better preparation for implementing a QI project, and more likely to participate in QI in the future. The project completed was one which improved patients' knowledge of their anticipated date of discharge from the hospital.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A class quality project can teach QI to residents incorporating both didactic and practical methods to maximise the experience and minimise the barriers. We found that this method improved residents experience, knowledge and interest in quality initiatives.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Duello
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Louh
authors.affiliation: Health Care Engineering, Department of Operations Administration, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Hope
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Greig
authors.affiliation: Division of Hospital Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dawson
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003162:Competency-Based Education / Q000379:methods; D003479:Curriculum; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000193:education*; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000379:methods; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D058996:Quality Improvement
keywords: EDUCATION & TRAINING (see Medical Education & Training); MEDICAL EDUCATION & TRAINING; QUALITY IMPROVEMENT