Quality improvement is a well-known and commonly utilized approach to improving care and outcomes that is built on process improvement methods but not practice improvement methods. Because quality care includes both process and practice elements, process improvement alone cannot ensure quality outcomes will be achieved. This calls for a new approach.
To share an innovative, synergistic, and collaborative quality framework: Evidence-based Quality in Practice and Process: The EQUiPP Framework.
The EQUiPP Framework's intent is to provide structure for collaborative efforts to effectively identify best practices/processes, implement and sustain change, and improve outcomes. The framework provides guidance to decrease the frequency of implementing ineffective changes by deriving effective solutions … the first time, every time.
A team of experts used a consensus approach to develop the framework.
A precursor to this framework, the Practice and Process Improvement = Quality (PPQ) Model, was evaluated by individual expert review and a two-day beta test workshop. Feedback was obtained during the workshop when participants applied the model in activities reflecting real-world healthcare scenarios. When used in both DNP student work and real-world health systems, fundamental flaws were identified which resulted in the necessity to develop a different conceptualization. The framework described here is a new approach to improving quality care.
The EQUiPP Framework is a tool that provides the synergistic integration of both practice improvement (EBP) and process improvement methodologies to successfully implement and sustain best practices to achieve and sustain quality outcomes.
The EQUiPP Framework aligns EBP and process improvement, allowing clinicians and students to work collaboratively to identify and effectively, as well as efficiently, implement and sustain best practices to deliver quality outcomes.
The role of the interprofessional evidence-based practice (EBP) mentor is critical to integrate best practices into healthcare and academic environments to improve outcomes and reduce costs for patients, families, providers, students, and faculty. This study aimed to validate the knowledge, skills, and attitudes/beliefs (KSAs) needed for the EBP mentor. This role delineation study (RDS) assessed knowledge about the EBP mentor role and tasks as related to the steps and competencies of EBP.
Interprofessional EBP experts participated in an advisory panel. Focus groups were conducted with the advisory panel members to identify the KSAs needed for expert EBP mentors. The steps of EBP were broken into 11 domains to align with the processes and strategies needed for EBP methodology. The focus group data were analyzed to identify the KSAs for each domain. A role delineation survey was developed. Interprofessional experts were invited to complete the survey to validate the KSAs needed for the EBP mentor role. The online survey included demographic information and 11 sections that aligned with the steps of EBP and the 107 KSA items needing to be validated.
A total of 251 interprofessional EBP experts completed the survey (232 nurses, 19 interprofessionals). Healthcare providers comprised 82.5% of the sample, academic/researchers 15.5%, and “worked in both settings” 2%. The results reported strong inter-rater reliability (ranging from 0.836 to 0.955) and strong validity for each of the 11 domains and KSAs.
Findings from this study support the EBP mentor role and will guide interprofessional EBP education and EBP mentor positions in healthcare systems. The study showed that the tasks of the EBP mentor were consistent across settings, educational degrees, and professional roles. Validity for the tasks/role for an interprofessional Evidence-based Practice Certification was clear and outlined expectations for the EBP mentor role.
The original jigsaw strategy is a cooperative learning technique that involves small groups of participants working together on a particular task that was initially designed to promote academic performance and foster positive social relations among students across diverse classroom settings. Jigsaw emphasizes teamwork by facilitating collaboration among students or participants to accomplish tasks. It is an efficient and time-saving approach that is particularly applicable when there is a lot of information to review and each individual does not need to learn every detail of the topic.
To develop a strategy to advance EBP in healthcare organizations and build individuals' competence and confidence in the EBP process.
The jigsaw approach was modified to advance evidence-based practice (EBP) through the creation of the “Jigsaw Journal Club for EBP” (JJC-EBP).
The JJC-EBP strategy/approach enhances efforts to advance EBP work in organizations by expediting the critical appraisal step of the EBP process. This strategy/approach also promotes clinician participation in EBP by creating a collaborative approach to several steps of EBP methodology. In addition, this strategy/approach helps individual clinicians build their competence and confidence in several steps of EBP methodology as well.
EBP can be advanced in healthcare organizations through implementation of the Jigsaw journal club strategy. Clinicians can build their EBP competence and confidence through participation in a Jigsaw journal club activity.