Quality Improvement (QI)

Quality Improvement (QI) involves a systematic and coordinated approach to solving a problem using specific methods and tools with the aim of bringing about a measurable improvement. 

QI is the process of engaging appropriate methodologies and quality management tools to close the gap between current and desired levels of performance 1There are a variety of methods to improve quality of care which are already accepted and used in maternal and newborn health. These include: conducting maternal and perinatal death audit or review, ‘near-miss’ audit and standards-based audit.

All three types of audit essentially ask the questions: What was done well and what could have been done differently to avoid maternal or perinatal death. Where audit system is implemented, it helps identify which areas of clinical care or the health systems require improvement. 

1 https://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/16/1/2?ijkey=08b3a3eacbe7eb63e12ba52ba463e936f7608287&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha

There are currently two interventions under the QI theme: