How Physicians Approach QI Is Changing—Get A Head Start

Tell us how you’re doing on this year’s Renewal Information Form.

Quality improvement is an important part of maintaining a strong, effective medical practice. CPSA is committed to providing the tools you need to enhance your practice, provide excellent patient care and meet personal and professional goals.

As we prepare to launch our new Physician Practice Improvement Program (PPIP), we’d like to know where you are when it comes to quality improvement. Your 2020 Renewal Information Form (RIF) will contain questions about your continuous quality improvement and personal development.

How can I implement continuous quality improvement in my practice?

Many physicians find innovative and creative ways to enhance their practice. Even the smallest changes can have a big impact and by using quality improvement methods, your plans for change will have the highest probability of success. Some examples include:

• Reviewing and identifying how you can achieve maximum compliance with CPSA’s Standards of Practice.
• Using your EMR data to review your clinic’s screening process and identifying possible areas of improvement.

What do you mean by personal development?

Personal development focuses on the non-expert aspects of your practice, including communication, interpersonal skills, how you work with others and leadership skills.  Reflecting on our strengths and identifying opportunities for change is the first step towards making personal improvements. Some ways you can start down a path of personal development include:

• Completing a multi-source feedback review, like the Medical Council of Canada’s MCC 360.
• Asking for feedback from your peers, learners and patients, then reviewing it with a trained facilitator who can help you identify trends and opportunities.

What will the new RIF questions look like?

We will ask five questions about your knowledge and participation in both continuous quality improvement and personal development in your practice. This information will help us determine how we can best support you as we evolve our programs and empower physicians to take ownership of their quality improvement journey.

Questions in the meantime? Feel free to reach out to Dr. Shelley Howk, PPIP project lead and CPSA Senior Medical Advisor, at shelley.howk@cpsa.ab.ca.