What are the features of high-performing quality improvement collaboratives? A qualitative case study of a state-wide collaboratives programme

Objectives Despite their widespread use, the evidence base for the effectiveness of quality improvement collaboratives remains mixed. Lack of clarity about ‘what good looks like’ in collaboratives remains a persistent problem. We aimed to identify the distinctive features of a state-wide collaborati...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mary Dixon-Woods, Justin B Dimick, Graham P Martin, Michael J Englesbe, James G McGowan, Greta L Krapohl, Darrell A Campbell
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2023-12-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/12/e076648.full
_version_ 1797370572561186816
author Mary Dixon-Woods
Justin B Dimick
Graham P Martin
Michael J Englesbe
James G McGowan
Greta L Krapohl
Darrell A Campbell
author_facet Mary Dixon-Woods
Justin B Dimick
Graham P Martin
Michael J Englesbe
James G McGowan
Greta L Krapohl
Darrell A Campbell
author_sort Mary Dixon-Woods
collection DOAJ
description Objectives Despite their widespread use, the evidence base for the effectiveness of quality improvement collaboratives remains mixed. Lack of clarity about ‘what good looks like’ in collaboratives remains a persistent problem. We aimed to identify the distinctive features of a state-wide collaboratives programme that has demonstrated sustained improvements in quality of care in a range of clinical specialties over a long period.Design Qualitative case study involving interviews with purposively sampled participants, observations and analysis of documents.Setting The Michigan Collaborative Quality Initiatives programme.Participants 38 participants, including clinicians and managers from 10 collaboratives, and staff from the University of Michigan and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.Results We identified five features that characterised success in the collaboratives programme: learning from positive deviance; high-quality coordination; high-quality measurement and comparative performance feedback; careful use of motivational levers; and mobilising professional leadership and building community. Rigorous measurement, securing professional leadership and engagement, cultivating a collaborative culture, creating accountability for quality, and relieving participating sites of unnecessary burdens associated with programme participation were all important to high performance.Conclusions Our findings offer valuable learning for optimising collaboration-based approaches to improvement in healthcare, with implications for the design, structure and resourcing of quality improvement collaboratives. These findings are likely to be useful to clinicians, managers, policy-makers and health system leaders engaged in multiorganisational approaches to improving quality and safety.
first_indexed 2024-03-08T18:03:27Z
format Article
id doaj.art-7d8a6224cda44b56ac8befae0ea67408
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2044-6055
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-08T18:03:27Z
publishDate 2023-12-01
publisher BMJ Publishing Group
record_format Article
series BMJ Open
spelling doaj.art-7d8a6224cda44b56ac8befae0ea674082024-01-01T20:55:06ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552023-12-01131210.1136/bmjopen-2023-076648What are the features of high-performing quality improvement collaboratives? A qualitative case study of a state-wide collaboratives programmeMary Dixon-Woods0Justin B Dimick1Graham P Martin2Michael J Englesbe3James G McGowan4Greta L Krapohl5Darrell A Campbell6The Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute (THIS Institute), Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UKDepartment of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USAThe Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute (THIS Institute), Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UKDepartment of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USAThe Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute (THIS Institute), Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UKDepartment of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USADepartment of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USAObjectives Despite their widespread use, the evidence base for the effectiveness of quality improvement collaboratives remains mixed. Lack of clarity about ‘what good looks like’ in collaboratives remains a persistent problem. We aimed to identify the distinctive features of a state-wide collaboratives programme that has demonstrated sustained improvements in quality of care in a range of clinical specialties over a long period.Design Qualitative case study involving interviews with purposively sampled participants, observations and analysis of documents.Setting The Michigan Collaborative Quality Initiatives programme.Participants 38 participants, including clinicians and managers from 10 collaboratives, and staff from the University of Michigan and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.Results We identified five features that characterised success in the collaboratives programme: learning from positive deviance; high-quality coordination; high-quality measurement and comparative performance feedback; careful use of motivational levers; and mobilising professional leadership and building community. Rigorous measurement, securing professional leadership and engagement, cultivating a collaborative culture, creating accountability for quality, and relieving participating sites of unnecessary burdens associated with programme participation were all important to high performance.Conclusions Our findings offer valuable learning for optimising collaboration-based approaches to improvement in healthcare, with implications for the design, structure and resourcing of quality improvement collaboratives. These findings are likely to be useful to clinicians, managers, policy-makers and health system leaders engaged in multiorganisational approaches to improving quality and safety.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/12/e076648.full
spellingShingle Mary Dixon-Woods
Justin B Dimick
Graham P Martin
Michael J Englesbe
James G McGowan
Greta L Krapohl
Darrell A Campbell
What are the features of high-performing quality improvement collaboratives? A qualitative case study of a state-wide collaboratives programme
BMJ Open
title What are the features of high-performing quality improvement collaboratives? A qualitative case study of a state-wide collaboratives programme
title_full What are the features of high-performing quality improvement collaboratives? A qualitative case study of a state-wide collaboratives programme
title_fullStr What are the features of high-performing quality improvement collaboratives? A qualitative case study of a state-wide collaboratives programme
title_full_unstemmed What are the features of high-performing quality improvement collaboratives? A qualitative case study of a state-wide collaboratives programme
title_short What are the features of high-performing quality improvement collaboratives? A qualitative case study of a state-wide collaboratives programme
title_sort what are the features of high performing quality improvement collaboratives a qualitative case study of a state wide collaboratives programme
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/12/e076648.full
work_keys_str_mv AT marydixonwoods whatarethefeaturesofhighperformingqualityimprovementcollaborativesaqualitativecasestudyofastatewidecollaborativesprogramme
AT justinbdimick whatarethefeaturesofhighperformingqualityimprovementcollaborativesaqualitativecasestudyofastatewidecollaborativesprogramme
AT grahampmartin whatarethefeaturesofhighperformingqualityimprovementcollaborativesaqualitativecasestudyofastatewidecollaborativesprogramme
AT michaeljenglesbe whatarethefeaturesofhighperformingqualityimprovementcollaborativesaqualitativecasestudyofastatewidecollaborativesprogramme
AT jamesgmcgowan whatarethefeaturesofhighperformingqualityimprovementcollaborativesaqualitativecasestudyofastatewidecollaborativesprogramme
AT gretalkrapohl whatarethefeaturesofhighperformingqualityimprovementcollaborativesaqualitativecasestudyofastatewidecollaborativesprogramme
AT darrellacampbell whatarethefeaturesofhighperformingqualityimprovementcollaborativesaqualitativecasestudyofastatewidecollaborativesprogramme