A primer on quality improvement methodology in neonatology

Abstract

This article provides a systematic and pragmatic approach to quality improvement in the neonatal intensive care unit setting. The "model for improvement" serves as the foundation for the approach, and is based on three core questions, followed by cycles of testing: What are we trying to accomplish? How will we know that a change represents an improvement? What changes can we make that will result in continuous improvement? This article reviews these questions in detail and provides specific examples to highlight the practical use of this methodology.