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A Learning Community Supporting Experiential Education to Learn About Healthcare Equity Quality Improvement

  • Innovations in Medical Education
  • Published:
Journal of General Internal Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Quality improvement (QI) for healthcare equity (HCE) is an important aspect of graduate medical education (GME), but there is limited published research on educational programs teaching this topic.

Aim

To describe and evaluate a novel curriculum and learning community for HCE QI.

Setting

Academic institution.

Participants

Forty-eight participants: 32 learners and 16 faculty.

Program Description

This novel, longitudinal curriculum utilized a virtual hub-and-spoke learning community. Five interdepartmental teams of learners and faculty (spokes) used QI methods to address an existing institutional healthcare inequity (HCI). A team of experts (the hub) led monthly group meetings to foster the learning community and guide teams.

Program Evaluation

Retrospective pre-post curricular surveys assessed participant satisfaction, knowledge, and skills in applying QI methods to address HCIs. Response rate was 33%. The majority of participants (92.4%) reported an increase in knowledge and skills in conducting QI for HCIs. All participants reported an increased likelihood of future engagement in HCE QI. Final QI projects average QIPAT7 score was 25.8 (SD = 4.93), consistent with “meets expectations” in most categories.

Discussion

This program is a feasible model to teach GME learners and faculty about HCE QI and may be adopted by other institutions.

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Figure 1
Figure 2

Data Availability

The data is available within the article and supplementary materials or otherwise available by request from the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the hub members of the EQUIP for Equity program, including Rickie Brawer and Byron Scott. This educational initiative received funding from the Thomas Jefferson University Center for Faculty Development and Learning Nexus Grant. This work was previously presented as an oral presentation at the Thomas Jefferson University Disparities Summit in June 2022.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Hospital Medicine, Department of Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Dianna Cheney-Peters MD, Gretchen Diemer MD & Rebecca Jaffe MD

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Elizabeth Liveright MD

  3. The Jane and Leonard Korman Respiratory Institute, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Christine Shusted MPH

  4. Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, PA, Philadelphia, USA

    Jacqueline F Sinnott BS

Authors
  1. Dianna Cheney-Peters MD
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  2. Elizabeth Liveright MD
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  3. Christine Shusted MPH
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  4. Jacqueline F Sinnott BS
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  5. Gretchen Diemer MD
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  6. Rebecca Jaffe MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dianna Cheney-Peters MD.

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The authors declare that they do not have a conflict of interest.

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Cite this article

Cheney-Peters, D., Liveright, E., Shusted, C. et al. A Learning Community Supporting Experiential Education to Learn About Healthcare Equity Quality Improvement. J GEN INTERN MED 38, 3060–3064 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-023-08314-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-023-08314-0

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