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Canadian Hospital Quality Improvement 2026 — PDSA, Six Sigma & Patient Safety Guide
Complete guide to Canadian hospital quality improvement — PDSA cycles, Six Sigma, Lean methodology, patient safety culture, Accreditation Canada ROPs, CIHI quality indicators, and QI software.
Canadian hospitals use PDSA, Six Sigma, and Lean for QI. Accreditation Canada requires QI. CPSI (now Healthcare Excellence Canada) provides resources. This guide covers Canadian QI.
QI Methodologies
| Methodology | Description | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| PDSA | Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles | Small tests of change |
| Six Sigma | Reduce variation (DMAIC) | Complex processes |
| Lean | Eliminate waste, improve flow | Patient flow, wait times |
| RCA | Root cause analysis | Serious incidents |
| IHI Model | IHI improvement model | Large-scale improvement |
| FMEA | Failure mode and effects analysis | Proactive risk assessment |
PDSA Cycle
- Plan: Plan the change — what, who, when, how to measure
- Do: Do the change — implement and collect data
- Study: Study the results — compare to prediction
- Act: Act on results — adopt, adapt, or abandon
- Repeat: Repeat with refinement or new change
Patient Safety Priorities
- Medication safety: Medication reconciliation, high-alert medications
- Infection prevention: Hand hygiene, HAI prevention
- Falls prevention: Risk assessment and prevention
- Pressure injuries: Risk assessment and prevention
- Surgical safety: Surgical safety checklist (ROP)
- Patient identification: Two identifiers (ROP)
- Communication: Handover, disclosure of adverse events
- Just culture: Fair treatment of staff after errors
Frequently Asked Questions
- What QI methodologies are used in Canadian hospitals?
- Canadian hospitals use: 1) PDSA (Plan-Do-Study-Act) cycles for small tests of change, 2. Six Sigma for reducing variation, 3. Lean for waste reduction and flow, 4. IHI (Institute for Healthcare Improvement) model, 5. Root cause analysis (RCA) for incidents. Many Canadian hospitals have QI teams trained in these methodologies. Accreditation Canada requires QI.
- What is patient safety culture in Canadian hospitals?
- Canadian patient safety culture: 1) Just culture — fair treatment of staff after errors, 2. Reporting culture — encourage incident reporting, 3. Learning culture — learn from errors, 4. Safety culture surveys — measure staff perceptions, 5. Patient safety education — CPSI (Canadian Patient Safety Institute) resources, 6. Patient involvement — involve patients in safety. Accreditation Canada requires patient safety culture ROPs.
- What is CPSI and what resources does it provide?
- CPSI (Canadian Patient Safety Institute, now part of Healthcare Excellence Canada) provides: 1) Patient safety education and training, 2. National patient safety standards, 3. Incident analysis resources, 4. Patient safety campaigns (e.g., STOP! Clean Your Hands), 5. Patient safety research, 6. Patient and family engagement resources. CPSI merged with CFHI to form Healthcare Excellence Canada in 2021.