Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI)

CQI Overview

As part of its commitment to excellence in medical education, Georgetown University School of Medicine engages in continuous quality improvement (CQI) efforts aimed at monitoring institutional effectiveness and supporting improved performance in key areas. The School of Medicine CQI program within the Office of the Dean encourages a culture of accountability and excellence, amongst all offices and stakeholders, contributing to the sustainability and effectiveness of our training programs and preparing our students to serve as competent and compassionate healthcare providers for the future.

The CQI program also fulfills the LCME accreditation requirements outlined in Element 1.1 of the Functions and Structure of a Medical School (see LCME publications), which requires that “a medical school engages in ongoing strategic planning and continuous quality improvement processes that establish its short and long-term programmatic goals, result in the achievement of measurable outcomes that are used to improve educational program quality, and ensure effective monitoring of the medical education program’s compliance with accreditation standards.”

CQI Committee

The CQI Committee is an ad-hoc committee of GUSOM, intended to provide an audit function to the school’s programs through ongoing, systematic, and metric-driven monitoring and evaluation of GUSOM’s compliance with the functions and structure of a medical school as defined by the LCME, as well as to assess performance on institutional strategic priorities. The work of the CQI committee informs the ongoing efforts and priorities of the CQI program under the purview of the Office of the Dean, collectively providing proactive stewardship of accreditation standard compliance and the strategic mission of the institution.

The CQI committee’s work includes, but is not limited to: 

1. Determining which issues and accreditation elements require ongoing monitoring and/or interventions, and how often monitoring occurs; 
2. Guiding the process, accountability, and timeline for improving identified issues;
3. Recommending which individuals/stakeholders are responsible for implementing interventions;
4. Providing ongoing assessment of efforts and outcomes;
5. Providing an annual report to the Committee on Medical Education on the status of the School of Medicine as it relates to accreditation standards and strategic initiatives; 
6. Providing ad hoc reports to the Dean for Medical Education as needed to address any significant areas of concern. 

CQI Priorities

The CQI program monitors improvement efforts as they relate to institutional strategic initiatives, as well as priorities for LCME accreditation standards and elements. LCME priorities are determined using a variety of criteria, with elements likely to be monitored if:

• They are internally identified as high risk
• They have been previously cited by the LCME
• There is an explicit LCME requirement for monitoring
• They correspond to operational policy and/or strategic priorities
• They are considered best practices in ensuring program quality