iNICQ Quality Improvement Collaboratives
VON offers members the opportunity to participate in multi-center quality improvement collaboratives.
Our iNICQ program allows centers to participate with others over the internet via
web-based conferences, while our NIC/Q program allows
for more intensive, face-to-face collaboration.
Both collaboratives are supported by nationally-recognized faculty with the goals of:
- Making measurable improvements in NICU quality, safety, and efficiency.
- Developing new resources and tools for NICU quality improvement.
- Disseminating knowledge throughout the neonatology community.
- Identifying, testing, and implementing 'potentially better practices' in a broad range of clinical,
organizational, and operational domains of newborn care.
VON has developed the Four Key Habits of Improvements, which are the basis of each collaborative.
These key habits emphasize:
- Change
- Collaborative learning
- Evidence-based practice
- Systems thinking
Participants receive access to tools and resources at our quality care website,
www.nicq.org. This site also provides a confidential method for
voluntary, anonymous reporting of medical errors.
iNICQ
iNICQ is a series of 90-minute live web conferences, spaced throughout the year. These series are
interactive, working collaboratives with structured prework. The iNICQ series include plenary
presentations by expert faculty and case studies from real NICU teams. A dedicated e-mail discussion
list open to all participants provides an additional forum for discussion and faculty support. The web
conferences are a very convenient way for NICU staff to collaborate.