Effective facilitation ensures success with quality improvement projects

Effective facilitators improve QI project outcomes

In current literature, quantitative evidence exists to document an effective facilitator's positive influence on evidence implementation. However, qualitative evidence of its impact is lacking. That prompted JBI to perform a systematic review to see how effective facilitation influences the QI experience and evidence implementation in healthcare.

JBI’s systematic review showed that people’s perception of an effective facilitator hinges on their access to resources and learning support, as well as their skills, traits, and attitudes. A good facilitator is flexible, versatile, persistent, caring, positive, and solution-focused. They gain the greatest satisfaction and effectiveness when enabling their teams to critically find solutions.

To be effective, facilitators also need:

• Clarity in their role(s)
• Protected time for facilitation activities
• A career development pathway for professional growth as a facilitator.

Human expertise in facilitating audit criteria

Facilitators offer guidance at every step of a QI project, but their skills are particularly needed for developing useful audit criteria. Two key challenges surround that task.

First, audit criteria should be pilot-tested and refined before attempting full implementation. Pilot testing builds confidence in the QI initiative, paving the way for wider implementation.

Second, audit criteria are evidence-based standards of care that must be measured and operationalized in a way that suits the specific context while producing reliable results.

A good facilitator can help solve both challenges by guiding the piloting of audit criteria and defining how these standards can be effectively operationalized in clinical practice. However, a facilitator doesn’t need to rely solely on his or her own skills for those tasks.

JBI software enhances facilitation with learning support for audits

JBI software provides key resources to standardize and streamline all steps of QI activities, from setting up a project, gathering and evaluating evidence to developing audit criteria, and evaluating the effectiveness and sustainability of project results.

Intuitively easy to use, JBI PACES provides an all-in-one solution for turning evidence-based theory into actionable changes. Its GRiP (Getting Research into Practice) method provides a comprehensive set of tools to support facilitators and their teams through the process. These tools assist with data collection, analysis of compliance with audit criteria, identification of barriers and enablers, and other key components essential for successful implementation. Sometimes, even a facilitator needs a facilitator. JBI PACES fills that need for both project management and learning support.

Request a personalized demo to learn more about how JBI PACES fills the need for project management and learning support and how it can assist your organization.