IQIPS

Improving Quality In Physiological Diagnostic Services
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Royal College of Physicians IQIPS FACTSHEET JULY 2011

 

What is IQIPS?
Improving Quality In Physiological diagnostic Services (IQIPS) is a programme sponsored by the Department of Health Chief Scientific Officer to promote and recognise good quality practice in physiological diagnostic services.

Who Runs IQIPS?
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) on behalf of the Department of Health, is now hosting the IQIPS programme. This programme will form part of the RCPs growing portfolio of work on accreditation. For consistency IQIPS will retain the same core team while the programme is developed further and embedded within the RCP. IQIPS is part of a wider family of accreditation programmes covering clinical services under a model led by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP). The RCP already hosts the endoscopy (JAG) and occupational health schemes (SEQOHS). In addition there are accreditation schemes for pathology (CPA) and imaging (ISAS) which are hosted elsewhere. The IQIPS evidence based standards are professionally owned. All material has been developed in partnership with the professional bodies, societies and colleges in each physiological diagnostic specialism.

How does the process work?
IQIPS will include a Self Assessment and Improvement Tool (IQIPS‐SAIT) which can be used by services to assess accurately their level of performance in relation to established standards and to improve continually the service delivered. IQIPS service accreditation will involve a peer assessment process that validates adherence of a service to the standards providing assurance of quality to patients and commissioners. While accreditation will not be mandatory it will set a badge of quality.

What will IQIPS achieve?
This programme will raise the profile of physiological diagnostic services across organisations, with commissioners and patients. It will validate and recognise success as well as seek to drive up quality ‐ aspiring towards excellence. The programme will also promote sharing of good practice and cooperation across physiological diagnostic services.

What about QET?
The work on the audiology Quality Enhancement Tool (QET) has embedded a culture of self improvement within the audiology community and IQIPS will retain this focus on quality and the philosophy of self improvement. There is huge value and knowledge within QET that IQIPS has built on to maintain the momentum and success. The experience of working with the QET will help audiology services on their accreditation journey. An audiology working group have developed a guide for using the QET in the IQIPS Quality Improvement and accreditation process to ensure smooth transition.

What progress has been made?
The standards and supporting materials have been developed for piloting. The standards cover four domains: Three non clinical and one clinical. The domains are:
 Patient Experience
 Facilities, Resource and Workforce
 Safety
 Clinical

What are the next steps?
IQIPS pilot programmes in neurophysiology and gastro‐intestinal physiology are ongoing with audiology not far behind. Urodynamics, respiratory and sleep physiology and cardiac physiology are on track to start their pilots later in the year. Ophthalmic and vision science is expected to pilot in 2012. The web‐based technical platform for IQIPS material is being developed along with a knowledge management system that will sit behind the Self Assessment and Improvement Tool to assist sites in the process and share good practice. There will be a tender process to commission a provider of accreditation. Once the provider is established, expert assessors from the clinical community will be recruited and trained.

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