The Healthcare Improvement and Innovation in Quality (THINQ) Collaborative: A Novel Quality Improvement Training Program for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students.
Dhwani KrishnanAbhinav KareddyCaitlin ChenRussel KerbelErin DowlingWendy SimonAnna DermenchyanPublished in: American journal of medical quality : the official journal of the American College of Medical Quality (2024)
The Healthcare Improvement and Innovation in Quality (THINQ) Collaborative is a uniquely designed program that engages undergraduate and postgraduate students to participate in improving health care and addressing important clinical problems. In 9 years, over 120 THINQ Fellows have been trained in quality improvement (QI) frameworks and methodologies focusing on research skills, social justice, leadership development, and problem-solving. Program evaluation has included surveying current and former THINQ Fellows about their experiences with the program and its subsequent impact on their careers. THINQ's research and outreach initiatives have contributed to improvements in workflows and clinical care on topics such as interdisciplinary team communication, discharge and care transition, sepsis management, and physician burnout. The THINQ Program has equipped future health care leaders to engage with and address QI issues in clinical practice. The structures, processes, and outcomes discussed here can guide other institutions in creating similar QI programs.
Keyphrases
- quality improvement
- healthcare
- patient safety
- medical education
- mental health
- clinical practice
- primary care
- emergency department
- intensive care unit
- public health
- nursing students
- palliative care
- metabolic syndrome
- type diabetes
- high resolution
- body composition
- pain management
- skeletal muscle
- current status
- social media
- septic shock
- colorectal cancer screening