Collaboratives use a learning model pioneered by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in Boston. That model offers a systematic approach to healthcare quality improvement in which organizations and providers test procedural innovations, and then share their experiences in an effort to accelerate learning and promote widespread implementation of best practices. The collaborative focuses on making small-scale, rapid changes to close gaps between prevailing practices and the best available scientific knowledge.

Key components of the collaborative include

• use of a rapid-cycle method for implementing quality improvements;
• use of a standard set of changes for teams to implement;
• sharing a vision of the ideal system of care developed by clinical experts;
• monthly reporting of process and outcome measurements; and
• three "learning sessions" and a final "outcomes congress" during which teams attend sessions with expert faculty to share progress, best practices, and lessons learned.

Learning Sessions
Through plenary sessions, small group discussions, and team meetings, QIOs and their partnering hospital teams will have the opportunity to

• learn from faculty and colleagues,
• receive individual coaching from faculty members,
• gather new knowledge on preventing surgical infections and improving processes,
• share experiences and collaborate on improvement plans,
• problem-solve barriers to improvement, and
• plan spread of improvements.

Outcomes Congress
The outcomes congress is the final meeting held at the end of the collaborative. It highlights the accomplishments of the collaborative and provides a forum for sharing effective models for improvement developed by participating teams.