Improving patient safety education for radiology residents: Using a quality improvement approach

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Patient Safety
• Quality Improvement

Background:

• Radiology resident participation in safety event investigations fell below Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) standards.
• A quality improvement (QI) project was initiated to address this decline.

Purpose of the Study:

• To increase radiology resident participation in safety event root cause analysis (RCA) and action planning.
• To enhance the quality improvement (QI) training experience for radiology residents.

Main Methods:

• The DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) methodology was used by a multidisciplinary team.
• Interventions included integrating residents into oversight committees, improving reporting education, clarifying terminology, and incorporating simulated RCA events.

Main Results:

• A 33% increase in resident participation in safety event investigations was achieved.
• Compliance with ACGME standards was restored without negatively impacting the balance between education and patient care.

Conclusions:

• Structured QI initiatives are crucial for maintaining resident engagement in patient safety.
• Targeted interventions effectively enhanced both patient safety participation and resident education.