An 85-year-old woman who lives independently at home was hospitalized three days ago for pneumonia. She has multiple comorbidities, including dementia, hypertension and diabetic neuropathy. While in hospital, the patient’s care team noticed her losing balance, and it was determined that the patient was at high risk of falling. One evening, the patient attempted to go to the bathroom independently. She put on her glasses and took the cane provided to her, as …
HiQuiPs: Consent in Quality Improvement
You’re ready to start a quality improvement (QI) project aimed at improving the effectiveness of the communication surrounding patient prognosis by providers. Your Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles involve retrospective chart reviews, surveys with patients to understand their experiences, and 1:1 key informant interviews with inter-disciplinary staff members in your department. You’ve learned about navigating ethics in quality improvement , and have reached out to your institution’s Research Ethics Board or QI leadership to determine the process …