Effective Implementation of Continuous Quality Improvement Methodology to Expedite Clerkship Grade Submission

Background: Although continuous quality improvement (CQI) methodology is routinely used in corporate America, it has had limited application in medical education. Description: The purpose of this study was to decrease the length of time needed for submission ofsummative clerkship student grades and evaluations, including both the final grade and the narrative description of performance. Methods of CQI were used to define the extent of the problem regarding clerkship evaluation submission, to evaluate the cause, and to create an intervention strategy. Evaluation: Baseline data revealed that on average it took 10.1 weeks (range 8.5-15.2 weeks) for departments to submit clerkship evaluations. Following an in-depth prospective analysis, strategies were developed and implemented that decreased the average time to submission to 5.0 weeks (range = 4.0-6.1 weeks). Conclusion: We conclude that CQI methodology can be used successfully in medical education.