Chicago Practicum Focuses on Quality Improvement Tools, Patient Safety, and
the Accreditation Processes

The 2009 Joint Commission International (JCI) Chicago Practicum trained participants to use specific and practical quality improvement tools to build more robust, patient-safe organizations.  Forty attendees participated in an intensive 5-day program that included the following subject matter:

• How process mapping helps identify the inefficiency, waste, and danger in any existing process, as well as how a few small
   changes can make a profound impact.
• How JCI’s tracer methodology helps assess compliance with accreditation standards, as well identifying hidden threats to patient 
   safety. 
• How a root cause analysis can efficiently target resources and mitigate existing patient safety risks.
• How to select and collect clinical indicator data to guide data-driven decisions to train staff, create better policies and procedures, 
   and ultimately impact patient-safe care.
• How failure mode effects analysis can help uncover threats to patient safety before they occur. 
• The most challenging JCI standards and tips to meet them.
• How already-accredited organizations provide compliant, patient-safe care through a variety of case studies.
 
Photos taken on 15 June, the first day of the Practicum, are below.

A JCI Insight subscriber, Vincenzo Parrinello, submitted this pictorial poster celebrating his and his colleagues’ participation in the 2008 Chicago Practicum:

Source: Vincenzo Parrinello. Used with permission.