The Role of Quality Improvement Methods in Translational Research

摘要

Over the past several decades, interest in translational research to improve healthcare has been growing. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) explicitly made translational research a central priority and has invested heavily in developing an infrastructure of Clinical and Translation Science Awards (CTSAs). In this article, we address how quality improvement (QI) methodologies, particularly those of lean and six sigma, can be used to further understand and measure the processes of translating research from basic to clinical and to practice. The main vehicle for this activity has been the CTSA's Research Translation Mapping and Measurement (RTMM) Interest Group which supported the development of a framework for using the DMAIC (define, measure, analyze, improve, control) methodology in translational research. The important insights we have gained in using QI in this context are presented and discussed.