Self-reported effects of QI project | 27% | 32/120 | Quantitative aim was achieved | |
57% | 68/120 | Positive change - no quantitative aim | ||
15% | 18/120 | Positive change - quantitative aim not reached | ||
2% | 2/120 | No quantitative aim and no improvement | ||
Included projects (n = 120) | ||||
General characteristics | Journal | 44% | 53/120 | BMJ Quality Improvement Reports |
5% | 6/120 | Pediatrics | ||
4% | 5/120 | Journal of Oncology Practice | ||
47% | 56/120 | Other journals | ||
Country | 43% | 52/120 | USA | |
36% | 43/120 | The UK | ||
5% | 6/120 | Canada | ||
4% | 5/120 | Singapore | ||
3% | 4/120 | Saudi Arabia | ||
2% | 2/120 | Australia | ||
7% | 8/120 | Other | ||
Reach | 86% | 103/120 | Local | |
11% | 13/120 | Regional | ||
3% | 3/120 | Nationwide | ||
1% | 1/120 | Not stated | ||
Area of healthcare | 57% | 68/120 | Department | |
30% | 36/120 | Hospital-wide | ||
13% | 16/120 | Other | ||
Department specialty | 30% | 28/94 | Pediatrics | |
14% | 13/94 | ICU/ED | ||
13% | 12/94 | Surgery | ||
12% | 11/94 | Psychiatry | ||
11% | 10/94 | Internal Medicine | ||
21% | 20/94 | Other | ||
Supporting framework | 58% | 70/120 | Not stated | |
33% | 40/120 | Model for Improvement | ||
9% | 11/120 | Lean, Six-sigma or other frameworks | ||
Documentation of PDSA cycles | Documentation category | 19% | 23/120 | No details of cycles |
21% | 25/120 | Themes of cycles but no additional details | ||
50% | 60/120 | Details of individual cycles but not stages of cycles | ||
10% | 12/120 | Details of cycles including separate information on stages of cycles | ||
Included projects (n = 72), 48 excluded due to lack of documentation criteria | ||||
Iterative approach characteristics | Nature of cycles | 3% | 2/72 | Single isolated cycle |
18% | 13/72 | Multiple isolated cycles | ||
57% | 41/72 | Iterative chain | ||
5% | 4/72 | Multiple chains of isolated cycles | ||
17% | 12/72 | Mix of iterative chains and isolated cycles | ||
Several tests of change in a cycle | 76% | 55/72 | Yes | |
24% | 17/72 | No | ||
Small scale testing characteristics | Scope of QI effort | 40% | 29/72 | Testing |
46% | 33/72 | Implementing | ||
0% | 0/72 | Spreading | ||
13% | 9/72 | Testing and implementing | ||
1% | 1/72 | Testing, implementing and spreading | ||
Pre-project intention of testing under different conditions | 0% | 0/72 | Yes | |
100% | 72/72 | No | ||
Type of scaling when using small scale | 10% | 1/10 | Unclear | |
70% | 7/10 | Increasing | ||
20% | 2/10 | Non-increasing | ||
Continuous data collection characteristics | Main type of data used | 72% | 52/72 | Quantitative data |
22% | 16/72 | Quantitative data with supplementary qualitative data | ||
4% | 3/72 | Quantitative & qualitative data | ||
1% | 1/72 | Quantitative data but not presented | ||
Measurement type | 67% | 48/72 | Regular three or more data points | |
25% | 18/72 | Before and after or per PDSA cycle(s) | ||
7% | 5/72 | Single data point after PDSA cycle(s) | ||
1% | 1/72 | No quantitative data reported | ||
Use of baseline | 90% | 65/72 | Yes | |
10% | 7/72 | No | ||
Type of time series diagram | 50% | 24/48 | Run Chart | |
50% | 24/48 | Control Chart | ||
Theoretical rationale characteristics | Evidence based inspiration for the need for improvement | 94% | 68/72 | Yes |
6% | 4/72 | No | ||
Origin of inspiration for QI intervention | 36% | 26/72 | External knowledge, scientific literature, previous QI or benchmarking | |
29% | 21/72 | Internally developed knowledge, logical thinking | ||
14% | 10/72 | A combination of internal and external | ||
21% | 15/72 | Not stated |