The Innovation Learning Collaborative (ILC) approach was developed within the Strategic Clinical Networks™ as a leading edge method to implement clinical best practice.
Our Methods
Innovation Learning Collaboratives (ILCs) engage provincial teams in using measurement to drive clinical pathway practice changes to achieve system-wide improvements. This method involves:
- Learning Sessions: time where interprofessional provincial teams, patients/families, and expert faculty exchange ideas. Learning sessions progress from initial “burning change platform” presentations to teams identifying balanced scorecard measures, to group “make it better” problem-solving, to team reporting on successes/barriers/lessons learned, to peer “I had that problem; here's how I solved it” sharing. During each learning session, action plans are created by the implementation teams to use PDSA cycles and additional plans are made to impact the specific targets they select. A team ‘report out’ of identified plans are made to the provincial health community as a way to commit to making improvements.
- Action Periods: when between Learning Sessions, teams collect data and complete Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles. Teams are provided with coaching and are able to establish informal communities of practice.
- Balanced Scorecards: a way to organize key provincial and locally identified targets, for performance. These measures are focused on the six Quality Dimensions as defined by the Health Quality Council of Alberta. During the learning sessions, teams complete and then use balanced scorecards to track incremental local progress during the action periods. Refinement and tailored adjustments are made at each Learning Sessions by the implementation teams. Balanced scorecards identify positive and negative/unintended change impacts.
- Measurement & Results: Multi-faceted measurement and evaluation results reveal system performance, health outcomes, and patient/provider experience improvements.
- Sustainability: The Innovation Learning Collaborative method, tools and training are standardized to achieve the "Three Fs" fundamentals:
- Frontline engagement
- Focus on quality
- Finish to sustainment
