Reflection of what happened in 2024

As the calendar year draws to a close, it presents an opportune moment to analyse what defined the past twelve months. This period of reflection not only provides us with the chance to assess the changes that have occurred within the healthcare industry but also enables us to acknowledge and celebrate the significant milestones achieved by our customers and partners throughout the year.

We’re looking at the changes that shaped our industry, innovations, shifts in patient care approaches, and the ongoing challenges faced by healthcare professionals and institutions alike.

Moreover, this reflection allows us to express our gratitude and appreciation for the hard work and dedication of our customers and partners. We can recognise the breakthroughs they accomplished, the challenges they overcame, and the positive impact they made on their communities and the healthcare sector as a whole.

As we look back on the year, let's celebrate the resilience and innovation that have driven progress in healthcare improvement, inspiring us all to strive for an even brighter future in the coming year.

Celebrating a decade of Quality Improvement at ELFT

2024 marked a huge milestone for the East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT). As they celebrated 10 years of Quality Improvement at the organisation, they reflected on the incredible progress they've made and the lessons they've learned along the way through a series of podcasts in collaboration with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI).

Over the past decade, they have witnessed substantial growth and transformation in the way their teams and individuals approach improvement, empowering them to incorporate QI practices into their daily routines.

Explore ELFT’s journey here.

100th anniversary of the Shewhart chart

In May we celebrated the 100th anniversary of SPC charts, Shewart’s huge contribution to process improvement which we still use in QI today.

On the 19th May 1924, at the Western Electric factory located in Cicero, Illinois, Dr. Walter Shewhart, a prominent physicist and engineer, took a significant step in advancing quality control. In his short memo to his manager, he introduced an innovative tool that he had been diligently developing. Dr. Shewhart emphasized the importance of his new tool, stating that it is specifically designed “to give at a glance the greatest amount of accurate information to help the inspectors determine if there was a problem with the process producing their equipment.”

The Shewhart chart, which we often refer to as a statistical process control (SPC) chart or simply a control chart, is an effective tool designed to help organisations address two fundamental questions that are crucial for process improvement: How do our processes vary over time? (Can we identify trends and patterns that can inform decision-making?); and Are our processes, under the current operating conditions, capable of meeting the needs of those we serve? (Are the outputs of the processes meet quality standards and customer expectations?)

Learn more about Shewhart and the SPC charts.

IHI: strong emphasis on health equity in 2024

In 2024, we witnessed the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) placing a strong emphasis on health equity, championing various initiatives aimed at addressing disparities in healthcare access and outcomes among diverse populations. Through frameworks like the Achieving Health Equity Framework, they provide resources and guidance to health organizations, emphasising components such as building infrastructure, addressing social determinants of health, and combating systemic racism in healthcare.

They have also offered professional development programs focused on health equity to equip healthcare leaders and teams with tools to promote equity within their organisations, and they collaborate with diverse organizations, including health systems, community-based groups, and policymakers, to promote equity at systemic levels (for example, initiatives like the Rise to Health Coalition which brings together stakeholders to focus on achieving equitable health outcomes).

Health equity was a big focus also at the different events and conferences organised by the IHI where leaders, including CEO Dr. Kedar Mate, have emphasised the critical role of equity in healthcare transformation. These discussions often highlighted the importance of integrating equity into all aspects of healthcare improvement.

How artificial intelligence influences how we do QI

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly prevalent across various sectors, including the healthcare industry. Far from killing Quality Improvement (QI) initiatives, AI has the power to transform the landscape by shifting the focus from routine, manual tasks to more strategic roles that leverage human judgment, creativity, and ethical considerations. In this new paradigm, AI has the potential to enhance QI efforts, making them not only more efficient but also more impactful.

However, for this transformation to be fully realised, a strong collaboration must develop between advanced AI technologies and human experts who possess the insight and experience necessary for effective healthcare improvement.

While the potential for such collaboration is immense, our observations show that this change will definitely not occur overnight. The integration of technology in service-led or grassroots healthcare improvement efforts often faces challenges, as established practices and mindsets can be slow to evolve. Stakeholders may be wary of adopting new technologies or may struggle to see how they can complement traditional methods.

Read more here.

Group models are formalising the partnerships between healthcare organisations

We have seen a significant and transformative shift in the way healthcare organisations – both within the NHS landscape and in other countries around the world - collaborate to drive large-scale improvements, all with the primary objective of enhancing the health and overall wellbeing of people residing in their respective regions. This collective effort signifies a more united approach, where various organisations are coming together to tackle pressing health issues and improve healthcare services in a cohesive manner.

While the concept of Trusts collaborating in the UK is not entirely new, what is noteworthy is the increasing tendency to formalise these partnerships. By establishing clear frameworks for cooperation, organisations are better equipped to share resources, eliminate redundant processes, and streamline operational systems. This trend not only enhances efficiency but also allows for a more effective distribution of expertise and knowledge within the healthcare community.

See how you can use Life QI to support the NHS group model.

Using Life QI to support NHS IMPACT

We introduced a new article on our blog that explores how Life QI plays a crucial role in supporting the NHS IMPACT initiative aimed at fostering and facilitating continuous improvement within healthcare systems. In this article, we delve into the significance of our software in driving organisation-wide improvements and its effectiveness in addressing key outcomes that are emphasized by the five components of the NHS IMPACT framework.

These five components provide a structured approach to improvement, focusing on areas such as leadership, culture, capability and measurement. Our software aligns perfectly with these components, offering tools and resources that help organisations not only to identify areas for improvement but also to implement sustainable changes that benefit both staff and patients.

Read more on our blog.

The IHI launched the Chief Quality Officer Network to enable knowledge sharing and facilitate collaboration

In June 2024, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) launched the Chief Quality Officer (CQO) Network. This innovative leadership community serves as a platform for quality and safety executives from around the globe, offering them the opportunity to come together to share knowledge, forge meaningful connections, and cultivate collaboration across the healthcare landscape.

Quality leaders, who are driven by a profound sense of purpose often referred to as their "ikigai," are dedicated to enhancing the safety and effectiveness of healthcare systems. However, this mission is not without challenges. In today’s complex healthcare environment, they face numerous obstacles that can hinder their efforts to implement meaningful change. Therefore, there is an increasing need for a supportive space where these professionals can exchange ideas, discuss best practices, and address the various issues plaguing the healthcare industry.

The CQO Network is designed not only to facilitate the sharing of innovative ideas but also to serve as a collective advocacy group for crucial health policy issues that have far-reaching implications for patient care and quality improvement initiatives. By working together, members can amplify their voices and influence policies that are vital for advancing healthcare quality and safety.

Learn more about the IHI Chief Quality Officer Network.

A national collaborative to prevent preterm birth, using Life QI

In October 2021 the Women’s Healthcare Australasia (WHA) along with their partners, the Australian Preterm Birth Prevention Alliance (the Alliance) and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) commenced their largest collaborative yet in Life QI – the Every Week Counts National Preterm Birth Prevention Collaborative with the goal to safely lower the rate of preterm and early term birth across the 63 participating maternity services by 20% by March 2024.

Now that the collaborative ended, we wrapped up what happened in these years and how Life QI helped them scale their improvement nation-wide. As it stands, over 80% of the 49 health systems have demonstrated improvement in their projects in Life QI (based on scoring 3 or above on the IHI project progress score) which acts as an early indication of the collaborative being a great success!

As a result of this work, Australia is on track to become the world’s first country to strategically and safely lower its rate of untimely birth. This would be a fantastic achievement for the WHA team, their partners, participating hospitals and the nation as a whole.

Read our case study.

Learning and Action Network to address inequalities in maternal and neonatal care

In January 2024, the NHS Race and Health Observatory, in partnership with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and supported by the Health Foundation, launched a Learning and Action Network (LAN) to drive the development of effective approaches to addressing inequalities in maternal health for non-white pregnant women.

The initiative is strategically designed to tackle the inequalities that have been consistently identified in relation to severe maternal morbidity, perinatal mortality, and neonatal morbidity, particularly among individuals from Black, Asian, and other ethnic minority backgrounds.

Currently, the LAN includes participation from 10 dedicated teams representing 8 Integrated Care Systems (ICS) across four distinct regions. These teams are actively engaged in a quality improvement programme that places emphasis on anti-racism principles.

By fostering collaboration and sharing best practices through the LAN, the participating teams aim to implement targeted interventions that will mitigate these disparities and create a more equitable healthcare system that recognises and addresses the factors contributing to racial and ethnic disparities in maternal and neonatal health.

Read more about the Learning and Action Network.

Conclusion

That is just a snippet of all the great changes, innovations and progress we have seen throughout the healthcare improvement landscape during 2024. There are certainly plenty more we could have mentioned!

It has been another year where we come together as individuals and organisations and strive to improve how we provide health and social care to our populations. We have certainly made progress on many fronts, which should be celebrated and reflected upon during this festive period. And then we will be back to it in 2025 because there is plenty left to keep on improving next year. Bring it on!