To complete this Assessment: Follow the steps in the HQ001 Personal Improvement Project Guide to select your personal improvement topic, collect data, and analyze the data in preparation for your Asse

HQ001: Methods and Tools for Quality and Safety

The aim of the Personal Improvement Project is to experiment with a small change that is under your personal control; collect, analyze, and interpret data; and then reflect on what you have learned from your project about the general challenge of changing something. Through this project, you will see how the quality improvement (QI) process works in general and familiarize yourself with the tools used for healthcare QI.

Review the Neuhauser, Mhyre, and Alemi (2004) workbook in the Learning Resources. The workbook includes topic ideas, the general process to follow, and example charts.

Step 1: Select a Topic

Select an area for personal improvement. For your project, you will need to initiate a change and then collect data to see whether you have improved. Some general examples are exercise and time management.

Based on the topic area, determine the aim or goal of your personal improvement project. What would you like to accomplish? How will you know that you have improved? Make sure the aim is measurable.

Step 2: Plan Data Collection

Determine what you will measure and how. Consider how each of the measures you choose will help understand how you are advancing toward your aim.

Use the following Data Collection Plan template to ensure you have a good system in place for collecting data. Some options are tracking data on your phone, recording by hand in a notebook, using a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, etc.

Data Collection Plan

Begin collecting data. To gather enough information on your improvement, you must collect data for 4 weeks.

Step 3: Collect Data

Step 4: Evaluate Measures and Progress

Once data collection is underway, evaluate progress on your personal improvement project.

Specifically:

• Reflect on the steps you have taken in your personal improvement project.

• Access and examine the data you have gathered.

• Evaluate the tools available to you and how you plan to use them.

Consider whether the data you have collected thus far are giving you the information you need to understand whether you are meeting your goal. If not, adjust your approach accordingly.

Determine which tools you are planning to use to display your data and assist with analysis. You must use at least two: a process map and a chart of some kind (table, graph, diagram, run chart, or XmR chart).

Use the Process Mapping and the Quality Tools A to Z resources for templates and examples of quality tools you can use for your project.   

Step 5: Continue to Collect Data and Develop Process Map

Continue to collect data for the full 4 weeks.

Begin to develop your process map showing the process you are studying. For your process map, consider:

• What are the steps you have taken thus far to study the improvement area?

• Are other people or systems involved in your study?

• What will you do next?

Step 6: Analyze the Data

Finish collecting the data and then analyze it. What do the data indicate about your improvement area across the 4 weeks of data collection?

As you think about your personal improvement project and the short-term accomplishments, consider how you could extend this improvement cycle long-term and to a professional healthcare setting.

Step 7: Draft the Report

After analyzing the data, draft your Personal Improvement Project Report, which you will submit as your Performance Task Assessment.