Resident Quality Improvement Program




Per the Institute of Medicine's 2001 report Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century, in order to "continually reduce the burden of illness, injury, and disability, and to improve the health and functioning of the people of the United States", all health care constituencies (health professionals, federal and state policy makers, public and private purchasers of care, regulators, organization managers and governing boards, and consumers) must adopt a shared vision of six specific aims for quality improvement:

  • Patient-centered: care that is responsive to patient preferences, needs, values
  • Effective: providing services based on scientific knowledge to all who could benefit and refraining from providing to those not likely to benefit
  • Equitable: providing care that does not vary in quality because of personal characteristics
  • Timely: reducing waits and delays for care
  • Efficient: avoiding wastes
  • Safe: avoiding injuries to patients from care
The USC Pediatric Residency Quality Improvement (QI) Program has been designed to meet two primary goals:
  • Fulfill the Residency Review Committee (RRC) requirements that pediatric residents learn QI methods and participate in a QI project during their residency
  • Provide training that enables pediatric residents to address quality of care issues during both their training and in their future careers
Objectives of the QI program are to ensure that all residents:
  • Participate in at least one QI project during their residency
  • Complete the QI project under the guidance and supervision of a knowledgeable faculty mentor
  • Understand and can perform the basic steps of a QI project:
  • Identify area, problem, or opportunity for improvement
  • Assemble an appropriate QI project team
  • Develop an AIM statement
  • Identify measurable goals
  • Test and implement system changes using plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles