The quality improvement committee is creating materials to use when implementing Six Sigma into the organization. In which order should the steps of this process be presented to the staff?

Question

1. Identify desired outcomes
2. Analyze data of new processes
3. Monitor ongoing improvements
4. Identify process revisions required
5. Collect data on the defined process

Answer 1

Correct Answer: 1, 5, 2, 4, 3

Improvement projects focus on five strategies represented in the acronym DMAIC
(Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control). The initial step is to identify and define the process and outcome for improvement, including specific characteristics, process inputs, and desired outputs/outcomes. Monitoring and tracking performance through data collection focused on the defined processes and outcomes is the second step. Measures can include data from the medical record, observations of care processes, and survey feedback. Analysis of the data provides information to determine performances both at baseline and after new processes are implemented. It should be done routinely. The data are reviewed as a component of the ongoing process to continually identify causes of problems. Findings from the analyses inform further improvements and revisions of processes. If the findings do not indicate improvement, the project team should revise the changes and determine new implementations or strategies to improve the process. Continual monitoring and ongoing improvements provide necessary control of the process over time.