Sustainability in Quality Improvement

Welcome! 

The Centre for Sustainable Healthcare is a registered charity working since 2008 to help the NHS reduce its carbon footprint. We are the world's foremost institution for sustainable healthcare research and practice. Our team draws on knowledge and experience from public health, clinical practice, environmental consultancy, research, and public policy. Over the last decade, we have explored methodologies and metrics to transform models of care. We work with key partners inside and outside healthcare systems to engage professionals, patients and the wider community in understanding the connections between health and environment, and to reduce healthcare’s resource footprint. We support moving the net zero target for CO2 emissions to 2030. 

For more information about our work see: https://sustainablehealthcare.org.uk/what-we-do

Course introduction

Sustainability has been recognised by the Royal College of Physicians as a domain of quality in healthcare, extending the responsibility of health services to patients not just of today but of the future. As a domain of quality, it follows that sustainability should be explicitly addressed as part of ‘quality improvement’ activities. But how?

This intensive course introduces health professionals and educators to the concept of ‘sustainable value’ and the ‘SusQI’ framework for integrating sustainability into quality improvement. Learning from real examples, participants explore in depth how the framework can be applied in practice to develop preventative, holistic, lean, low carbon care. The course includes 4-6-hours of multi-media self-study, a 4-hour interactive workshop and a follow-up interactive masterclass 1-2 months after the workshop to discuss projects-in-progress.

**We know that networking is a key reason for delegates to attend courses and we have designed the course to maximise opportunities to interact with and meet others.**

Learning objectives

By the end of this course you will be able to implement a 'triple bottom line' quality improvement project. This includes:

1. Defining a problem and setting sustainability goals.
2. Studying the system and assessing resource use locally.
3. Applying the principles of sustainable clinical practice.
4. Measuring ‘sustainable value’ using a multi-dimensional approach of environmental, social, financial and patient outcomes at the micro and population-level.

Learning path

The course is divided into two parts;

Part I. Self-study online - 4-6 hours of interactive online materials, presented in bite-sized modules, covering all course content illustrated with case studies. A discussion forum allows you to meet fellow participants and get to know each other's areas of interest and work. A short video on the home page outlines how to navigate the learning platform and obtain your certificate of completion. These learning materials are available to you from the point of booking and you will continue to have access to them for 6 months after the workshop. You can see a table of contents for the self study materials here.  

"It was informative and easy to understand and follow. Having everything laid out so clearly -- a mixture of text. diagrams, graphs, videos helped bring it to life and keep concentration. It really helped me consolidate my knowledge and feel prepared for the workshop". 

Part 2: Live workshop online - This 4 hour virtual workshop consolidates your understanding of the course materials. Small group discussions with CSH experts and colleagues from around the world allow further exploration of topics that interest you and tips on how to translate your ideas into action.   The timetable includes pre-session technical assistance and networking, followed by a review of the self-study material  (remove extra ‘review’ here) with Q&A.  In breakout groups you will then share your ideas for a sustainability intervention in your setting and make plans to address it, using the range of resources, tools and methods developed by CSH and partners.

By the end of the workshop you should feel equipped to get started on putting SusQI into action in your workplace.  Don't worry if you don't feel that you have a perfect, in-depth understanding of SusQI by the end of the workshop.  We know that people develop proficiency in SusQI by running their own SusQI projects or by teaching SusQI to others. A separate certificate of completion is provided for the workshop. 

 "I liked that the discussions were grounded in projects and tying into areas we can immediately effect and apply into our work".

"I liked the opportunity to network with other trainees. Definitely the examples were the most inspiring and felt practical too".

 

Part 3. Work-in-Progress - To support you after the initiation of your project we offer the opportunity to meet again as a group 1-2 months after the Workshop. In a two-hour session you will hear how others have progressed, and can present what you've done so far, answer questions and take feedback from participants and expert facilitators. 

© 2024 Centre for Sustainable Healthcare