IHQSE faulty members Drs. Ethan Cumbler and Patrick Kneeland report on the key factors motivating participation in inter-professional QI teams. High-functioning teams, a focus on patient-centered outcomes and a drive for professional growth were all predictive of participation and should inform the development of future QI project teams.

Drs. Jason Child and Sarah Parker, Certificate Training Program graduates, published the outcomes of their QI project showing a 10.9% reduction in antimicrobial use over a 4-year period. Their ‘handshake stewardship’ program resulted in a greater than 20% reduction in broad spectrum antibiotic usage such as vancomycin and meropenem.

Certificate Training Program graduates, Drs. James Borgstede and Kristen Nordenholz published the results of their project on ED efficiency. Utilizing the robust process improvement techniques and leadership skills developed in CTP the team was able to reduce time-to-CT scan in Emergency Department patients lowering overall ED LOS by 11 minutes. This change netted an annual estimated $450,000 in savings and $1,540,000 in revenue from new patients.

Drs. Ethan Cumbler and Read Pierce, both IHQSE faculty members, help to understand how QI success can lead to future failure. Using the analogy of airplane lift, the two show how flight (QI success) leads to increased wingtip vortices spiraling behind the plane resulting in drag (difficulty sustaining success with current and future QI projects) and offer suggestions to address the change fatigue common in QI.