Resources for Successful Planning – Flu Vaccination
The key to using the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) approach successfully is to start small and be very specific, such as identifying select quality improvement (QI) activities, timelines, level of improvement, roles of individuals, patients considered, and measurement of the changes.
The PDSA Form
Please note that the most important item in this PDSA form is the “goal,” or the planned change, that the team is aiming for. All other items in the form are contingent on the goal.
This PDSA form is the cornerstone of the DRIVE program as it helps Champions and the practice/health system team think through the goal and how to achieve it.
| Sample PDSA Questions |
| What is your PDSA goal (or planned change)? |
| What is the timeline for implementing the PDSA? |
| Who is going to implement the change and what will each individual do? |
| Where specifically will you implement the change? |
| Which patients will be involved? |
| How will you measure the change? |
| How will you report information about the PDSA to the team? To the whole practice? |
Here are the details to take into account when applying the different elements of the PDSA form:
- What is the timeline? → The time in which the cycle is to be implemented
- Who is going to implement the change? → Who are the individuals (eg, Physician A, or Medical Assistant B)?
- Where will the change be implemented? → The location for the change (eg Clinic C)
- Which patients will be involved? → The targeted patients (eg, African American patients seen by Dr. E over the course of the PDSA)
- How will you measure the change? → What materials are used (eg, track signed consent forms)
- How will you report information about the PDSA to the team? → How to best share information (eg, weekly morning meeting; or posting a Run Chart in the staff room; or hosting a lunch to present the plan to practice staff)
The above topline PDSA plan questions can be applicable for most DRIVE programs.