Unique learning programme impacts healthcare for communities around the world
Educators from The University of Warwick and Monash University have collaborated to develop an online Quality Improvement in Healthcare course, designed to improve access to quality healthcare around the world.
Quality improvement in healthcare is critical for reducing medical errors and improving patient safety and satisfaction. Many healthcare professionals are ideally positioned to implement improvements within their local setting but lack necessary skills to assess and enact change.
Funded by the Monash Warwick Alliance, a dedicated partnership between Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, and The University of Warwick, DoNTQUIT (Developing Novel Tools for QUality Improvement Training) is an education project for Health Professionals to develop quality improvement skills to implement robust service improvement activities within their practice.
The course is currently used at both Warwick and Monash universities and has been accessed by a substantial and growing number of undergraduate and postgraduate students across disciplines such as paramedicine, pharmacy, physiotherapy, medicine, and dentistry.
As part of their commitment to social responsibility, the project team has partnered with Health[e]Foundation to expand the reach of their course.
Richard Clay, Senior Academic Technologist at Warwick Medical School, explains:
The Health[e]Foundation is a non-profit organisation with expertise in supporting education in low-resource settings.
Through this partnership, we can bring our programme to healthcare professionals in countries facing resource and infrastructure challenges, helping them improve patient care and create lasting change in communities around the world.
Emma Donley, project manager at Health[e]Foundation, said:
We are thrilled to collaborate with Warwick and Monash Universities on this course.
An increasing number of participants have enrolled, with feedback highlighting its relevance and the positive impact it has had on their understanding of quality improvement.
Many are already applying these skills in their daily work to enhance healthcare practices, and we look forward to sharing the course with even more healthcare professionals worldwide.
Looking ahead, the project team plans to refresh the Quality Improvement in Healthcare course with new international case studies and examples to ensure content remains relevant. They are also exploring additional partnerships to expand its reach, aiming to improve healthcare outcomes in more communities worldwide.
Monash Warwick Alliance
In 2012 Monash University and The University of Warwick embarked on a ground-breaking partnership, the Monash Warwick Alliance (MWA), a pioneering model for international collaboration woven into the very fabric of both institutions.
Founded on shared principles of academic excellence and social impact, both universities had risen to international prominence through world-class research, a commitment to providing an exceptional educational offering, and a dedication to addressing complex challenges. The Alliance emerged as a natural progression, harnessing and enhancing these combined strengths to forge a unique synergy.
The Alliance was established to promote and develop the excellent collaboration between researchers, educators, students, and professional staff, and harness our collective strengths to empower research and education activities.