Preview

Turn a focused service question into shared learning

For care teams and support roles testing a bounded improvement across a care workflow.

This fictional example follows Harborview Care Network, where a cross-role team is examining how handoff notes are completed. The collaborative supports improvement experiments; it is not an accreditation evidence collection site.

Define a problem and aim

Colleagues around a whiteboard covered in sticky notes

Choose the next cycle step

Each page contains a worked example for the same fictional coordination workflow.

Define the problem and aim

Describe the observable gap, bound the workflow, and state the intended improvement.

Set an aim

Plan a small test

Specify a limited test, its roles, observation approach, and review point.

Plan a test

Define measures

Make each number interpretable with a unit, denominator, time period, source, and as-of date.

Read measure definitions

Review learning

Separate what was observed from what the team thinks it means.

Structure a review

Decide whether to spread

Consider context and evidence before repeating, adapting, sharing, or stopping.

Compare next decisions

How the collaborative works

Keep the experiment useful and bounded

A worked coordination example from Harborview Care Network.

Worked example

Keep the question narrower than the whole service

A team noticed that handoff notes were sometimes missing a clearly identified next owner. Rather than redesign every handoff, it focused on one weekly coordination meeting and a short note used after that meeting.

The facilitator records the agreed next owner in the shared note.
A second team member checks whether that field is present in the sampled notes.
The team records exceptions without adding patient-identifying details to this example.

Role-based handoff

Bring the right role into the right question

The improvement lead coordinates the cycle; the workflow owner explains local practice; a measurement partner checks definitions. Questions involving regulated, safety-critical, or sensitive work go to the relevant trained role and approved local material.