GCCP Quality Improvement (QI) Workshop

What is the GCCP QI Workshop?

This annual three-day virtual workshop is designed for pediatric intensivists who want to learn, practice and reinforce their skills in quality improvement (QI) to enhance quality of care and improve patient outcomes in their local settings. Led by experts from the St. Jude Global Critical Care Program and the St. Jude Office of Quality and Patient Safety, participants practice using QI concepts and tools in an immersive and collaborative environment. The workshop is offered in English and Spanish.

What is quality improvement?

Quality improvement (QI) in health care is a systematic approach and continuous effort to enhance the safety, effectiveness, efficiency, timeliness, patient-centeredness and equity of health care services. The primary goal of health care quality improvement is to optimize patient outcomes and experiences while minimizing errors, waste and variations in care. Core principles of health care quality improvement include:

• Patient-centered care and safety
• Evidence-based practice
• Interdisciplinary collaboration
• Performance measurement and reporting
• Systems thinking

What is the goal of the GCCP QI Workshop?

The GCCP QI Workshop is unique in that it is dedicated to training clinicians whose specialty is caring for critically ill children with catastrophic diseases. During the sessions, participants learn from St. Jude quality improvement experts through interactive lectures and small group breakout sessions. These breakout sessions allow attendees to brainstorm and actively apply QI principles to specific use cases in a collaborative, hands-on environment. Participants will gain:

• An understanding of the function and importance of QI in a health care setting
• An overview of the quality improvement process
• Practical guidance on how to apply essential QI tools to improve care in a local setting
• Knowledge about how to implement QI projects to make a positive impact
• Strategies for overcoming barriers to quality improvement
• An understanding of the benefits of promoting a QI culture in the workplace

Who can attend the GCCP QI Workshop?

This workshop is available to GCCP collaborators who completed the Global Academy in Pediatric Onco-Critical Care (GA-POCC) course as well as those who use the PROACTIVE assessment tool. Space is limited, and priority is given to collaborators who have not attended a previous GCCP QI Workshop.

In 2023, 71 health care providers from 43 institutions in 26 countries took part in the GCCP QI Workshop.

What content does the GCCP QI Workshop cover?

The three-day workshop is based on the Model for Improvement:

Over the course of the workshop, participants will gain an understanding of how to generate change ideas, how to overcome barriers to change, how to implement QI tools and methodologies, and how to measure results. Tools discussed during the workshop include the Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycle, SMART Aim statement, fishbone diagram, process map, affinity diagram, key driver diagram and more.

When is the next GCCP QI Workshop?

The workshop takes place annually in May. To take part, you must complete an application survey during the application window each spring. To receive notification of key dates and deadlines for the GCCP QI Workshop, join the GCCP mailing list.

The Global Academy in Pediatric Onco-Critical Care (GA-POCC) is a pre-requisite for taking part in the GCCP QI Workshop. Learn more about GA-POCC. PROACTIVE participants may also be eligible for the GCCP QI Workshop. To learn more about PROACTIVE, email PROACTIVE@stjude.org.

Have questions?

To learn more about the GCCP QI Workshop, email globalcriticalcare@stjude.org.