Clinic efficiency learning collaborative for quality improvement in title x service sites

The Family Planning National Training Center for Quality Improvement/Quality Assurance/Evaluation is engaging select Title X clinics in a year-long Clinic Efficiency Learning Collaborative (CELC) in 2013. Decreases in federal and state funding and the changing health care environment have placed increased pressure on family planning service sites to examine their financial health and explore integrated models of care. Improving data monitoring and increasing efficiency will help service sites to forecast and respond to changes in clinical and administrative management, engage in partnerships with primary care, and more effectively measure and respond to clients' needs. The CELC goals are to: 1) increase knowledge, attitudes, skills, and practices around quality improvement (QI) and clinic efficiency (CE); 2) improve performance on CE indicators (e.g., clinic flow, provider productivity, financial viability, and evidence-based practices); 3) contribute to Title X's overarching goal of implementing and improving activities related to quality assurance, QI, and evaluation among Title X grantees and service sites; and 4) support Title X agencies in adapting to changes in the health care environment. At program start, participants are trained to collect data on CE indicators at their service sites. Throughout the CELC, participants attend monthly online training webinars that introduce them to CE concepts, and approaches to improve systems and operations at their service sites. Using a cloud-based system, they collect data in between monthly online sessions to monitor progress on indicators and compare results of ongoing Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles. Expected long-term outcomes include improved quality of Title X services and increased patient satisfaction with and utilization of services.