SMART Goals

Published: 02/2023 After identifying a problem, the next step in any quality improvement process is to set a goal. Appropriate goals in quality improvement should conform to the acronym “SMART”: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Remember that...

Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)

Published: 05/2024 The Health and Human Services (HHS) Healthy People 2030 Campaign recognizes that Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) have a major impact on quality of life.1 These domains encompass nonmedical factors that influence the health of individuals and...

Stakeholders

Published June 2026 Stakeholder analysis is a critical step when you are designing a quality improvement intervention. If the right stakeholders are not involved, it can derail your project. By engaging the right stakeholders, you mitigate many potential problems and...

Standard Order Sets

Published 08/2026 Standard order sets are evidence-based medical orders for specific clinical conditions.   Originated in the 1980s, use increased significantly following the introduction of computerized order entry systems. The goals of standard order sets are to:...

Strengths of Interventions

Published: 02/2025 When crafting an improvement plan, either proactively or in response to a safety event, the goal is to prevent future, similar systems errors.  When evaluating potential solutions, it is important to consider the strength of the proposed...

Swim Lane Diagram

Published: 12/2024 Swim Lane Diagrams are a type of process map or flowchart, popularized by Rummler and Brache in 1990.  Process maps and flowcharts are visual models used to understand processes and identify improvement opportunities like inefficiencies, delays,...