Implementing Strategies for Quality Improvement in Healthcare Settings., 7.5 credits

A minimum of 120 credits and a degree in health care or social work. And proficiency in English equivalent to English B/English 6.

After completing the course, the general aim is that students should be able to apply and integrate knowledge around evidence-based methods for  designing and testing quality improvement initiatives  in health care settings.

After completing the course, the student should be able to:

• show knowledge of evidence-based  quality improvement methodology in health care settings
• argue for strengths and weaknesses for different measurement methods in quality development and improvement work in health care
• analyse and reflect on different quality improvement implementation strategies and its use in health care
• show scientific precision through written text

The course's content focuses on evidence-based methods for selecting, developing, testing, implementing, and spreading quality improvements in health care settings. .  Additional content includes reducing risk/preventing harm, looking at what top performing organizations do, the role of the patient in quality improvement, leaderships role in quality improvement, and value in health care regarding quality improvement.

The teaching is based on a problem-oriented and collaborative approach to learning in which the tasks provide opportunities for the student to take active responsibility for their learning.

The teaching methods used are based on the content of the course, where the student designs a real or hypothetical quality improvement project. The course contains mandatory elements consisting of individual assignments and peer review.

  Students will view lectures and interact with course material via a web-based learning management system. 

The examinator decides if, and how, absence from compulsory parts can be compensated. Study results cannot be reported until the student has participated in compulsory course elements or compensated for any absence in accordance with instructions from the course coordinator and/or examinator. Absence from a compulsory course element could mean that the student can not retake the element until the next time the course is offered.

The course is examined via a final examination of an individually written quality improvement project plan.

Students who do not pass after a regular examination session are entitled to  participate in the examination on five more occasions. If the student has failed six examinations/tests, no additional examination is given. Each occasion the student participates in the same test counts as an examination. Submission of a blank exam paper is regarded as an examination. When a student is registered for an examination but does not attend, then this is not regarded as an examination. Late submissions of examinations are not accepted. Students who have not submitted in time are referred to the re-examination.
An electronic examination that has been opened via the learning management system counts as an examination session even if the examination is not submitted. Students without approved results after three examinations can be offered to retake the course or parts of it once more; subject to availability.

If there are special reasons, or need for adaptation for students with disabilities, the examiner may decide to depart from the syllabus's regulations on examination form, number of examination opportunities, possibility of supplementing or exemptions from compulsory educational elements, etc. Content and learning objectives as well as the level of expected skills, knowledge and abilities must not be changed, removed or lowered.

Students will be allowed to take the examination up to two years after the closing of the course. The examination can be carried out according to an earlier literature list during a period of one year after the date of a renewal of the literature list.

Course evaluation is carried out in accordance with guidelines established by the Committee for higher Education (KU) at Karolinska Institutet.

Teaching takes place in English.