Spotlight: UW Medicine Center for Scholarship in Patient Care Quality & Safety

Advancing quality and safety in patient care

Established in 2012, the UW Medicine Center for Scholarship in Patient Care Quality & Safety brings together clinicians, researchers, and staff to advance health system science and accelerate the adoption of evidence-based practices. 

“Every healthcare provider must be fluent in basic principles of patient safety and quality improvement.  For many, work in quality improvement and patient safety will also be an important element of their academic careers,” said Dr. Thomas Gallagher, professor and associate chair for quality, safety, and value, who founded and led the Center for 13 years. 

Dr. Andrew White, professor (General Internal Medicine), course director for the Center’s  Certificate Program in Patient Safety and Quality, is stepping into the role of interim director this fall. 

Under their stewardship, and in partnership with leadership from several other departments, the Center is a resource for all UW Medicine to learn more about patient care quality and safety and to get started on their own quality improvement (QI) and patient safety projects.

“For over a decade, the UW Medicine Center for Scholarship in Patient Care Quality and Safety has been providing highly regarded, practical training in these critical topics that can help the entire UW Medicine community advance their knowledge and skills in this essential field,” Gallagher said. 

Education

The Center’s education programs provide participants with an immersive QI and patient safety curriculum that helps equip them with the knowledge and skills to translate ideas into scalable projects. 

“We offer training and project support that meets faculty and trainees where they are in their personal development,” White said. 

“This includes courses that support residents and fellows with ACGME-required QI work, faculty preparing for operational leadership roles, and health services researchers. Our goal is to prepare anyone in the clinical workforce to make care safer and more equitable.”

Opportunities include a year-round webinar series, QI Essentials Workshops designed for providers of all scopes of practice, a GME Quality and Safety Foundations Course for trainees as well as two flagship programs that are currently accepting applications.

Certificate Program in Patient Safety & Quality

The Certificate Program in Patient Safety and Quality is run jointly by Seattle Children's Hospital and the UW Medicine Center for Scholarship in Patient Care Quality and Safety. 

The eight-month training course is open to clinicians and non-clinicians from a variety of roles and organizations who are interested in developing their QI skills. 

The curriculum covers fundamental principles of quality, safety, and equity, and includes hands-on experience with a QI project. Participants gain experience in identifying gaps in and deploying improvements to the effectiveness, efficiency, equity, and value of care delivery. 

QI Scholars Program

The QI Scholars Program is a year-long training program designed to support individuals seeking advanced training in QI research methods and leadership skills. 

Scholars receive dedicated mentorship, data and statistics support, and engage with nationally known improvement experts and a community of peers engaged in rigorous QI projects. Graduates of the program are capable of leading, publishing, and mentoring others engaged in quality-focused projects.

The Department of Medicine is able to provide financial support for up to two internal applicants to cover program tuition. If you are considering applying, please contact Dr. Lori Rutman or Dr. Andrew White early in the process to ensure you understand what is needed for a successful application.

Research

Members of the Center conduct large-scale externally funded research projects focused on identifying and addressing system-level factors and evaluating novel approaches to improving quality and patient outcomes. 

Research spotlights

Recent work led by Dr. Lauge Sokol-Hessner, associate professor (General Internal Medicine) includes AHRQ-funded systematic review of medical malpractice and financial outcomes from “Communication and Resolution Programs,” which work to improve the support for patients after medical harm. 

Dr. Rashmi Sharma, associate professor (General Internal Medicine) focuses her research on patient-physician communication, palliative care, health equity, and decision making. Her current projects involve mixed methods approaches to improving palliative care delivery and identifying new treatment modalities for older adults with limited English language proficiency.

QI Project Support

The Center’s team of experts offer mentorship opportunities and virtual resources for providers designing and implementing quality improvement and patient safety initiatives. 

• The QI Project Accelerator program provides robust mentorship and data service to advance quality improvement projects from idea to implementation and publication.
• The Center has compiled a digital QI Project Toolkit to support individuals throughout the process of identifying a project, designing for success, finding funding, getting to work, and sharing results.

More information

Please visit the Center for Scholarship in Patient Care Quality and Safety website for more information on the Center’s programing and activities.