In today’s health care environment, marked by increased challenges, competition and regulation—not to mention ever-rising costs—issues of clinical quality and patient safety take on even greater importance than before.
Obviously, every practitioner and every medical institution works toward only the best clinical outcomes. But because medical errors can lead to damaged reputation, exposure to lawsuits and an inability to attract and retain top talent, it is essential for leaders around the world to implement programs of continuous improvement to achieve the highest standards of care.
Harvard Medical School’s Safety, Quality, Informatics and Leadership (SQIL) program was designed to help leaders effect positive change by learning to turn patient data into actionable, transformable knowledge. This one-year certificate program consists of:
- Three multi-day workshops (two virtual, one held in Boston)
- Dynamic live webinars and pre-recorded lectures
- Capstone project in which students devise a solution to a problem in their home institution or practice
Participants will emerge with the tools and knowledge needed to drive system-wide improvement, as well as a global network of peers facing the same challenges.
Deadlines
- Priority Enrollment Deposit Deadline: April 1, 2024
- Final Application Deadline: June 12, 2024
Tuition
- Priority Enrollment Tuition: $13,900
- Standard Tuition: $14,900
View Admissions & Tuition for more information.
Program Objectives
The goal of the SQIL program is to provide fundamental knowledge in four key, interrelated areas: clinical quality, patient safety, quantitative informatics and robust leadership. Participants will learn how to apply analytic tools to raw data to reveal powerful insights that can be applied to quality and safety practices and policies—and then implement these learnings throughout the organization. Upon completion of the program, participants will be prepared to:
- Apply key concepts in patient safety, quality and informatics to real-world health problems
- Identify barriers to change within complex health care systems
- Develop and sharpen personal leadership and communication skills
- Use Harvard Business School Case Method teachings to illustrate and learn from case scenarios in an interactive setting
- Building on all of the above, develop plans for quality improvement and patient safety through the use of informatics within the participant’s own health care practice, organization or system
Program Requirements
Time Requirements
- During workshop weeks, we advise participants to request time off for all four or five days of the workshop, as they are full-day programs comprising pre-work and readings.
- On non-workshop weeks, we expect participants to communicate and work with team members on assignments and allocate adequate time for quizzes (self-paced), capstone projects and webinars within their individual schedule.
- The syllabus and Canvas course will outline deadlines and due dates for assignments to help participants with their planning and time management.
The more you can plan ahead and set aside specific times to work on the course materials during the week, the better prepared you may feel. We understand, however, that competing priorities can interfere. We work closely to support participants in completing all of the requirements needed to earn the certificate of completion.
Exam Requirements
- The program includes two exams: a mid-term and a final. The mid-term consists of 20 questions that cover the first half of the program content. The final exam consists of a combination of multiple-choice and discussion questions that cover the second half of the program. A grade of at least 70% is required to pass each exam.
- Participants are given the opportunity to work on the exams over the course of three days, at their own pace. Should participants need an extension, or need to retake an exam to meet the grade requirement, we will work with them to determine an academic plan.
Graduation Requirements
Grading rubrics are posted on the syllabus with assignment instructions and are reviewed by faculty prior to assignment release dates so participants are aware of assessment criteria. The education team works with participants to meet all academic requirements to complete the program. To earn their certificate of completion, participants must:
- Participate in all three workshops
- Complete all module quizzes with a grade of at least 70%
- Complete all three team assignments
- Attend live at least 75% of all webinars
- Complete the mid-term and final exam with a grade of at least 70%
- Successfully complete the capstone project
Accreditation
The Harvard Medical School is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The Harvard Medical School designates this enduring material for a maximum of 20.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Credits can be claimed only for the on-demand video portion of the program.
