At St. Michael’s Hospital Academic Family Health Team (SMHAFHT), we are committed to delivering exceptional care to our diverse inner-city population. Reporting directly to the Senior Clinical Program Director the Quality Improvement Decision Support Specialist (QIDSS) plays a pivotal role in advancing our quality improvement (QI) initiatives. You will harness data-driven insights and QI methodologies to support clinical teams, optimize workflows, and enhance patient outcomes. As a valued team member, you’ll champion innovation and foster a culture of continuous improvement while engaging with stakeholders to shape the future of healthcare.
Key Responsibilities
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Analyze and report quality metrics to guide decision-making and drive improvements.
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Lead QI projects, including process optimization and new patient onboarding initiatives.
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Develop user-friendly dashboards and tools to support clinical teams and leadership.
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Train and mentor staff and learners in QI principles and methodologies.
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Collaborate with patients, families, and interprofessional teams to identify opportunities for improvement and implement change initiatives.
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Represent the organization in QI forums and contribute to knowledge-sharing and best practices.
Qualifications
The Quality Improvement Decision Support Specialist (QIDSS) is responsible for supporting the St. Michael's Hospital Academic Family Health Team (SMHAFHT) quality steering committee and the Department of Family and Community Medicine (DFCM) local quality teams in their planning, decision-making and implementation of Quality Improvement (QI) activities. This includes reviewing data quality, supporting teams in the implementation of data quality initiatives, improving the flow and use of information, developing queries and analytical products to support the DFCM and SMHAFHT and its leaders in their quality improvement goals and teams engaged in clinical process change.
The QIDSS will extract and analyze health information from a number of sources; electronic medical record Practice Solutions, Cancer Care Ontario¿s Screening Activity Report, EMRALD related to the quality measures specified in the FHT's Quality Improvement Plan (QIP). The QIDSS will produce and disseminate user-friendly quality reports that will assist in improving patient care. These include practice-level reports for the FHT Board and other governance bodies and provider-specific reports with patient information that would facilitate recall and reminders to improve quality of care. The QIDSS will also lead quality initiatives across the department including delivery of our patient experience survey, assist with preparation of the FHT's QIP, and support residents in completing their QI projects.
The QIDSS is also expected to participate in broader data harmonization initiatives and champion the use of data and performance analytics within the SMHAFHT.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Graduate degree or equivalent in health, social sciences or research methods (Health Informatics, Health Science or Health Administration)
- Experience in a clinical setting, preferably in primary care and demonstrated interest in the use of data for quality improvement
- Demonstrated statistical knowledge and skills and knowledge of statistical analysis packages like SAS, SPSS, S-plus, or STATA
- Strong computer literacy with all Microsoft Office applications a, Clinical Epidemiology and demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Excel
- Excellent report writing skills including proficiency in graphical display of information
- Demonstrated expertise in quantitative analysis, developing, producing and analyzing reports, identifying trends, verifying accuracy of data and reports
- Formal QI training/certification and/or QI experience in a health-care setting or similar experience
- Knowledge of best practices in the field of software / application and database development, health information regulations
- A good understanding of e-Health initiatives (EMRs, reporting systems etc.)
- Experience with organizing, maintaining and using large databases for research or quality improvement
- Excellent organizational and project management skills with attention to detail
- Good knowledge of medical terminology
- Familiarity with federal and provincial privacy legislations surrounding health information (PHIPA, PIPEDA)
- Experience in conducting literature searches and summarizing evidence
- Direct experience in programming to extract data from electronic medical records is an asset
- Experience working with patients is an asset
- Familiarity with DFCM patients, DFCM operations, and DFCM/SMH Quality processes is an asset
- Familiarity with academic primary care and Family Health Team operations is an asset
- Customer - focused individual with excellent time management, decision making and analytical skills
- Strong organizational, interpersonal and communication skills (written and oral presentation)
- Ability to work closely with health professionals and maintain good relations with physicians and other staff
- Excellent attention to detail and the ability to read and interpret complicated clinical documentation
- Ability to multitask, work to tight deadlines and prioritize workload on a regular basis
- Ability to work independently on a regular basis
- Ability to work as a Team Member in a large, diverse department to help achieve an environment conducive to achievement of department goals
- Ability to conduct and analyze review of relevant literature
