Center for Health Care Research & Policy

Quality Resource Unit

Director

Ethel Smith, M.D.

Purpose of Unit

The Quality Resource Unit leads and supports efforts to achieve excellence in both health care and health professions education at an affordable cost. We believe that outstanding care and education can be delivered at the same time, but only if the system is designed for this dual aim.

Background

The work of the Quality Resource Unit includes performance improvement, educational innovation and research on the improvement of care and education. It's key functions are to:

Design, lead and mentor initiatives to improve the care of patients served by MetroHealth, with a focus on the issues of greatest importance to the mission and strategic goals of the MetroHealth System.

Assist in the prioritization of MetroHealth performance improvement efforts.

Create educational experiences in practice-based learning and improvement for faculty and staff.

Consult with department chairs, nursing directors and other institutional leaders who wish their faculty and staff to engage in projects to improve patient care and professional education.

Link core educational experiences for students and residents to these efforts so that young health professionals view the assessment and improvement of health care as an essential element of their professional roles.

Study these activities in a way that will contribute to our knowledge of systems that lead simultaneously to outstanding results in patient care and education.

Clinical initiatives include the improvement of disease management (e.g. sickle cell disease, congestive heart failure, and venous thromboembolism), prevention (e.g. osteoporosis) and access to care. Educational innovations encompass both medical (undergraduate and graduate) and interprofessional education. Current examples include practice-based education about the continuous improvement of health care for pediatric residents, nurse practitioner students and pharmacy residents; project-based improvement learning for medical residents; and Web-based learning modules on core improvement concepts and methods for practicing clinicians and educators. The evaluation of this work uses descriptive, observational and quasi-experimental research designs. Quantitative and qualitative approaches measure outcomes such as clinical results, evidence of learning, satisfaction and cost.

Recently Completed Projects

Improving the Medication Distribution System at MetroHealth
MetroHealth Medication Distribution System
Improving Patient Access in Family Practice at MetroHealth Medical Center (PowerPoint, HTML Graphic)
Thrombolism with Low-Molecular Weight Heparin (PowerPoint, HTML Graphic)

Links

Catalyst For Kids
International Scientific Symposium on Improving Quality and Value in Health Care
Institute for Healthcare Improvement
Faculty Scholars Program: Improvement of Health Care

Process Improvement: A Guide for Team Leaders and Facilitators

This guide has been developed by the MetroHealth Senior Faculty Scholars in Quality Improvement for leaders and facilitators who are inexperienced in Process Improvement. The maximum learning will occur if reviewed with a trained facilitator. For more information please contact the Quality Resource Unit.