A Practice Change Model for Quality Improvement in Primary Care Practice.

Authors

Deborah J. Cohen PhDFollow
Reuben R. McDaniel Jr EdDFollow
Benjamin F. Crabtree PhDFollow
Mary C. Ruhe
Sharon M. Weyer
Alfred F. Tallia MD, MPHFollow
William L. Miller MD, MA, Lehigh Valley Health NetworkFollow
Meredith A. Goodwin MSFollow
Paul A. Nutting MD, MSPHFollow
Leif I. Solberg MDFollow
Stephen J. Zyzanski PhDFollow
Carlos Roberto Jaén MD, PhDFollow
Valerie J. GilchristFollow
Kurt C. Stange MD, PhDFollow

Publication/Presentation Date

5-1-2004

Abstract

Faced with a rapidly changing healthcare environment, primary care practices often have to change how they practice medicine. Yet change is difficult, and the process by which practice improvement can be understood and facilitated has not been well elucidated. Therefore, we developed a model of practice change using data from a quality improvement intervention that was successful in creating a sustainable practice improvement. A multidisciplinary team evaluated data from the Study To Enhance Prevention by Understanding Practice (STEP-UP), a randomized clinical trial conducted to improve the delivery of evidence-based preventive services in 79 northeastern Ohio practices. The team conducted comparative case-study analyses of high- and low-improvement practices to identify variables that are critical to the change process and to create a conceptual model for the change. The model depicts the critical elements for understanding and guiding practice change and emphasizes the importance of these elements' evolving interrelationships. These elements are (1) motivation of key stakeholders to achieve the target for change; (2) instrumental, personal, and interactive resources for change; (3) motivators outside the practice, including the larger healthcare environment and community; and (4) opportunities for change--that is, how key stakeholders understand the change options. Change is influenced by the complex interaction of factors inside and outside the practice. Interventions that are based on understanding the four key elements and their interrelationships can yield sustainable quality improvements in primary care practice.

Volume

49

Issue

3

First Page

155

Last Page

168

ISSN

1096-9012

Published In/Presented At

Cohen, D., McDaniel, R. J., Crabtree, B. F., Ruhe, M. C., Weyer, S. M., Tallia, A., & ... Stange, K. C. (2004). A practice change model for quality improvement in primary care practice. Journal Of Healthcare Management / American College Of Healthcare Executives, 49(3), 155-168.

Disciplines

Family Medicine | Medical Specialties | Medicine and Health Sciences

PubMedID

15190858

Department(s)

Department of Family Medicine, Department of Family Medicine Faculty

Document Type

Article