SPECIAL SESSION: From Quality Improvement to Health System Transformation: RNAO's Systematic Comprehensive Program of Developing, Implementing and Evaluating Best Practice Guidelines

Description/Overview: This presentation will provide an overview of the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario's (RNAO) Best Practice Guidelines Program as it relates to a comprehensive quality improvement initiative leading to health system transformation, predicated on the use of best evidence. The program includes a rigorous scientific approach to guideline development; an evidence-based systematic methodology of guideline implementation, (with a focus on the individual, organizations and the system); and a strategic approach to evaluation and continuous quality improvement through monitoring of structure, process and outcome indicators. Each of these components will be described, featuring the evolution of the program to include over 300 best practice guideline implementation sites world wide; integration of technology through development of nursing order sets derived from RNAO’s evidence-based best practice guidelines; and development of NQuIRE (Nursing Quality Indicators for Reporting and Evaluation), a data base of guideline specific process and outcome indicators as well as a set of structural indicators to enable the monitoring and evaluation processes. Key success factors and the importance of an integrated approach to use of best evidence, clinical practice change, continuous quality improvement, and measurement of the impact of evidence based nursing practice will be highlighted. This session will demonstrate how RNAO's Best Practice Guideline Program is impacting health care from quality improvement to health system transformation.