Toolbox
Tools and resources are provided in this section to assist in implementing various performance improvement actions. Tools include resources collected from other distinguished organizations or sources and may be in the form of example protocol, procedure, spreadsheets, forms, and links to websites that offer downloadable forms and resources.
It is not necessary to use all the tools provided to be successful. Select and download the tools that will assist you with your patient safety improvement initiatives. Tools can be adapted to the needs of the laboratory or patient safety process.
Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Quality Improvement Resources
(Forms, Templates, Toolkit, “How To” Videos)
Resource and Description
IHI Quality Improvement Essentials Toolkit – Includes tools and templates that can be used for quality improvement projects and manage improvement. Note: IHI registration is free and required to download resources
IHI downloadable tools and templates:
- Cause and Effect Diagram: can be used to analyze failure root causes and possible improvement actions; common name: fishbone diagram
- Driver Diagram: can be used to display relationship between goal/aim of project and areas/drivers related to achieving the goal/aim
- Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) Tool: can be used to analyze and identify risks and impacts on outcomes
- Flowchart (Process Map): can be used to visually display and analyze all steps in a process
- Histogram: can be used to visually represent variation in data in chart format
- Pareto Chart: can be used to display and arrange factors (largest to smallest) that impact improvement to an aim/goal
- PDSA (Plan-Do-Study-Act) Worksheet: can be used to document a test of change and the impact to achieving the aim/goal
- Project Planning Form: can be used to keep the project organized and be able to visualize the whole project and timeframes
- Run Chart and Control Chart: can be used to determine if changes made are improving the outcome and to assess variations in process
- Scatter Diagram: can be used to display the relationship between two variables
IHI Quality Improvement “How to” Videos – videos that can be used to learn how to use the tools listed above
American Society for Quality – Quality Tools A to Z
Resource
Quality Tools A to Z – Tools to help identify causes, understand processes, collect, and analyze data, keep projects on track, and make informed decisions for improvement activities.
Examples of downloadable tools include:
- Box and Whisker Plot
- Check Sheet
- FMEA
- Gantt Chart
- Pareto Chart
- Cause & Effect Diagram
- Control Chart
- Flow Chart
- Histogram
- Scatter Diagram
Other Organizations’ Tools
Resource/Organization/Description
Improving Diagnosis in Medicine Change Package (Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine) – can be used to help identify and reduce patient safety incidents during the diagnostic process
Patient Safety Resource Center (American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science) – resource center with educational materials, references, and patient and provider educational brochures
Additional Internet Resources
Resource
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ): Improving Diagnostic Safety & Quality
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ); Patient Safety and Quality Improvement
American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS); Patient Safety Resources & Information
College of American Pathologists – Q probes/laboratory benchmarking
Lab Guidelines and Standards; “How Does a Laboratory Measure Process Improvement?”
Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (SIDM);
Template
- Patient Safety Indicator – Bar Chart (Excel)
- Patient Safety Indicator – Example Procedure & Indicators (Word)
- Patient Safety Indicator – Scatter Diagram (Excel)
- Patient Safety Indicator & PDSA Plan (Power Point)
- Patient Safety Indicator Form (Basic) & Example (Word)
- Patient Safety Indicator Form (Complex) & Example (Excel)
- Patient Safety Indicator Reporting Form & Graph (Excel)
- Patient Safety Indicator Tracking & Graph (Excel)
- Patient Safety Indicators – Review & Outcome Report (Word)
- PDSA Performance Improvement Form (Excel)
- PDSA Performance Improvement Project Plan Worksheet (Word)
- Performance Improvement Specific Aim Statement (Word)
- Performance Indicator Project Plan Worksheet (Word)
- Performance Indicator Tracking – Example Dashboard (Excel)
- Policy Examples – Patient Safety Identified in Quality Plan (Word)