title: Making it easy to do the right thing in healthcare: Advancing improvement science education through accredited pan European higher education modules.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Numerous international policy drivers espouse the need to improve healthcare. The application of Improvement Science has the potential to restore the balance of healthcare and transform it to a more person-centred and quality improvement focussed system. However there is currently no accredited Improvement Science education offered routinely to healthcare students. This means that there are a huge number of healthcare professionals who do not have the conceptual or experiential skills to apply Improvement Science in everyday practise.
  
  
  METHODS
  This article describes how seven European Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) worked together to develop four evidence informed accredited inter-professional Improvement Science modules for under and postgraduate healthcare students. It outlines the way in which a Policy Delphi, a narrative literature review, a review of the competency and capability requirements for healthcare professionals to practise Improvement Science, and a mapping of current Improvement Science education informed the content of the modules.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A contemporary consensus definition of Healthcare Improvement Science was developed. The four Improvement Science modules that have been designed are outlined. A framework to evaluate the impact modules have in practise has been developed and piloted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The authors argue that there is a clear need to advance healthcare Improvement Science education through incorporating evidence based accredited modules into healthcare professional education. They suggest that if Improvement Science education, that incorporates work based learning, becomes a staple part of the curricula in inter-professional education then it has real promise to improve the delivery, quality and design of healthcare.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Healthcare Policy and Practice, School of Health Nursing and Midwifery, The University of the West of Scotland, Hamilton ML3OBA, United Kingdom. Electronic address: Rhoda.macrae@uws.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Rhoda
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: MacRae
authors.affiliation: Institute for Healthcare Policy and Practice, School of Health Nursing and Midwifery, The University of the West of Scotland, Hamilton ML3OBA, United Kingdom; Royal Alexandra Hospital, Corsebar Road, Paisley PA2 9PN, United Kingdom. Electronic address: kevin.rooney@uws.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Kevin D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Rooney
authors.affiliation: Department of Social, Therapeutic and Community Studies, Coventry University, Gosford St, Coventry CV1 5DL, United Kingdom. Electronic address: alan.taylor@coventry.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: Centre for Communities and Social Justice, Coventry University, Gosford St, Coventry CV1 5DL, United Kingdom. Electronic address: katrina.ritters@coventry.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Katrina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ritters
authors.affiliation: Sapienza University, Rome. Italy. Electronic address: julita.sansoni@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Julita
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sansoni
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Alicante, Carretera de San Vicente del Raspeig s/n 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain. Electronic address: manuel.lillo@ua.es.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lillo Crespo
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Care Jesenice, Spodnji Plavž 3, Jesenice, Slovenia. Electronic address: bskelasavic@fzj.si.
authors.forename: Brigita
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Skela-Savič
authors.affiliation: Institute for Healthcare Policy and Practice, School of Health Nursing and Midwifery, The University of the West of Scotland, Hamilton ML3OBA, United Kingdom. Electronic address: Barbara.odonnell@uws.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: O'Donnell
mesh_terms: D032921:Consensus; D003479:Curriculum; D003697:Delphi Technique; D004517:Education, Professional / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005060:Europe; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice; D006281:Health Occupations / Q000193:education*; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D017145:Models, Educational; D016730:Program Development; D058996:Quality Improvement / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012586:Science / Q000193:education*; D013336:Students, Health Occupations
keywords: European; Healthcare; Improvement Science education