Identify a project

Choose a suitable project

Find a problem you want to solve.

A CQI project is normally based around a problem you want to solve or a situation you want to improve. For Cornerstone CQI, it needs to be something that will directly benefit your practice and patient community.

You might identify a project from:

• personal knowledge
• PHO reports
• PMS query builds
• patient feedback.

Make sure the scope of your project is realistic.

Something small and manageable may help you embed CQI processes before attempting a more ambitious project.

For example:

• Start with a small project or sample size that you can scale up later.
• Broaden an existing project.
• Repeat something you've tried before with a new focus or new criteria.

Identify how you will measure change

You need data – something you can measure or count.

With data, you can measure the problem before you start, and again once your project is underway. This will help you evaluate your progress.

If possible, use data that is easily extracted from your PMS, PHO reports, or similar sources.

If you identify a problem through personal knowledge or patient feedback, think about how you can find data to measure it.

Make sure your data or evidence can be presented using quality improvement tools.

Using visual tools such as graphs, tables, and charts can help people to understand and use your information quickly because it provides a visual summary.

At this stage, you just need to identify whether it'll be possible to display your data in a graph, a chart, or tables. You don't need to know which type.