As part of the Conditions of Participation, nursing homes will be challenged to improve not only basic quality improvement skills but also their ability to make Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) the foundation of their work. QAPI significantly expands the level and scope of facility quality improvement activities, mandating adoption of advanced, systematic data-driven quality improvement methodologies to sustain and improve the quality of care and quality of life of nursing home residents. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) identified five key elements for QAPI: (1) Design and scope; (2) Governance and leadership; (3) Feedback, data systems, and monitoring; (4) Performance improvement projects (PIPs); (5) Systematic analysis and action.

This interactive on-demand course is structured around the five elements and will equip nursing home leaders with the practical skills needed to make QAPI how “work gets done” rather than seen as a separate “program.” Participants will learn and practice approaches to analyze, initiate, implement, and monitor evidence-based performance improvement projects. Key skills include problem identification, flow diagraming, data collection and trending data, root cause analysis, and monitoring. At the conclusion of the course, participants will have the tools necessary to design, implement, and monitor a QAPI program within their facility.

Target Audience

This course is designed to provide training for the entire interdisciplinary team, including administrators, attending physicians, practitioners (APN, PA), pharmacists, nurses (DON, RN, LPN), and medical directors.

Course Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, participants will be able to:

  • Discuss the five key elements of effective QAPI programs.
  • Identify a strategy to design and implement a QAPI program within their nursing home.
  • Apply fundamental quality improvement skills, including problem identification, flow diagramming, and root cause analysis to performance improvement projects.
  • Describe the importance of monitoring in quality improvement and strategies to develop monitoring systems in their QAPI programs.