Back to Basics: PDSA as a Tool for Frontline Clinicians

In this presentation, we will highlight the importance of PDSA and showcase a quality improvement project that transformed the process of photo documentation in a Seating Clinic. Led by a frontline occupational therapist, the project utilized the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles to streamline HIPAA-compliant photo uploads to the Electronic Health Record (EHR), improving clinical documentation. The initiative led to increased clinician engagement, enhanced patient records, and better alignment with security standards, demonstrating the value of empowering clinicians through targeted quality improvement training.

Explain how to use PDSA cycles to implement process improvements in clinical settings.

Identify opportunities for frontline staff to initiate and lead quality improvement projects that enhance clinical workflow, clinical documentation, and patient outcomes.

Authors

Mandy McDonald received her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at Brenau University in 2001 and has practiced in inpatient, outpatient, and day program settings since then promoting client independence. Mandy has collaborated on multiple rehabilitation and seating related research projects and co-authored several publications. She currently holds her ATP certification and serves clients in the Seating and Mobility Clinic within the Center for Assistive Technologies at Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Ga.

Anna Murdock is a Senior Internal Improvement Consultant in the Quality and Outcomes Management Department at Shepherd Center. Anna is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology with a BS in Business Management and a focus on Operations and Technology and recently received her Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certification. She has worked at Shepherd Center for 14 years with the majority of her tenure being in the Quality and Outcomes Management Department. Anna works with various initiatives across the organization including Customer Experience, Wound Prevention, Documentation, and Patient Rights related data and processes. She is also a co-lead of the Quality Improvement Champions Program at Shepherd Center.