Quality improvement storyboard

What is a QI storyboard?
How to create a QI storyboard
Template
Examples
More information

A quality improvement storyboard is typically a brief, one-page, visual summary of a completed quality improvement initiative. The storyboard highlights key aspects of a quality improvement effort by documenting the project from beginning to end. It generally includes a description of the following: the problem, the methodology and QI tools used, key metrics, lessons learned and the plan for sustaining improvement. A QI storyboard includes steps taken within the plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycle.

The format for a storyboard can vary. Templates are often used that follow the PDSA cycle. However, use of a template is not required. The design can be original using a preferred software program (MS Word, Publisher, PowerPoint, etc.).

Consider the following optional sections and content for a storyboard, which can consist of a combination of narrative and images:

Heading

• Agency name
• Agency logo
• Project title
• Project start and end date
• Names of sponsor and team members
• Team photo

Plan

• Problem/Issue
• Scope
• Project goals
• Current state process
• Root cause analysis
• Current state observations
• Strategies/improvement theories

Do

• Activities/plan to address the problem
• Rapid cycle improvements, testing details

Study

• Analysis of testing
• Observations of changes compared to expectations

Act

• Decision to adopt, adapt or abandon
• Rationale for decision
• Sustainment plan for improvements realized

Quality improvement storyboard template (PPT)
Minnesota Dept. of Health

Birth defects data collection kaizen, Aug. 2013 (PDF)
Minnesota Dept. of Health: Community and Family Health Division

Kaizen event summary: Municipal recycling (PDF)
Washington County Department of Public Health and Environment

Creating effective storyboards
Public Health Foundation

Guidelines for development of QI storyboards (PDF)
National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI); MLC-3

Embracing quality in public health: A practitioner's quality improvement guidebook
Michigan Public Health Institute: Office of Accreditation and QI