The Making of a Quality Improvement Team in a Community Health Centre: What Does it Take

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to use Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model of development to explore how a quality improvement (QI) team within a Community Health Centre (CHC) identifies the elements that have led to its success. This was a single case study, which took place in an Ontario Community Health Centre. The study included the reflection of a key manager who was also the researcher in this project. In addition, the study included 6 individual interviews with QI team members. Five themes emerged: (1) supportive management, (2) safe spaces, (3) ability to embrace collective change, (4) signs of success, and (5) collaborative environment. This study suggests that these five themes outline a strategy for successfully implementing QI in a primary care environment.