W. Martin Smith Interdisciplinary Patient Quality and Safety Awards Program

CO-SPONSORED BY THE UF COLLEGE OF MEDICINE & UF HSC SELF INSURANCE PROGRAM

Introduction

The UF College of Medicine Continuing Medical Education and the UF J. Hillis Miller Health Science Center Self-Insurance Program co-sponsors an Interdisciplinary Patient Quality and Safety Award(IPQSA) Program. This award program provides start-up support for University of Florida COM and HSC faculty and Shands staff to design and implement projects focused on clinical quality, patient safety and clinical process improvement. This grant research program supports projects that are designed to improve patient safety, reduce the likelihood of adverse events or claims, and that are directed at advancing the UF&Shands strategic quality initiatives. The projects selected for funding may also address national quality initiatives such as the Partnership for Patients, CMS quality improvement programs, IHI and NQF quality initiatives.

Project requirements

IPQSA-funded projects must plan and implement clinical education and process improvement initiatives designed to directly improve patient safety and clinical processes which enhance the delivery of care and minimize the opportunity for claims and litigation. Proposals should focus on projects directed at improving performance related to quality measures that are publicly reported or part of national quality campaigns, as described in the introduction.

Supported projects should have a strong improvement implementation plan. Primary data gathering or hypothesis-generating proposals are unlikely to be funded.

Project proposals should include a plan for evaluating the impact of the educational intervention and process improvement effort on the relevant measure. Projects must include a UF CME-accredited educational program. It is also requested that a copy of any published material resulting from the project be provided to the IPQSA program.

Additional consideration will be given to applications that include the following features:

  1. Project has interdisciplinary components including physicians, residents, nurses and other health care workers.
  2. Initiative is applicable across the educational continuum including faculty, resident, student, and post-graduate continuing medical education components.
  3. Project is expected to result in publication, poster presentation or other scholarly activity.
  4. Demonstration of how the project will be sustained after completion of the support and spread successful processes to other locations.
  5. Project is likely to serve as a foundation for further funded research.

Grant Amounts

Most IPQSA project grants will be in the amount of $25,000 or less over the life of the project. In special circumstances, consideration will be given to requests for larger amounts. 10-15 projects are expected to be funded annually.

Project Duration

Up to 18 months.

Grant Cycles

Applications are reviewed twice per year by a subcommittee of the UF SIP Claim & Loss Prevention Committee, in December and June, with award announcements in January and July.

Eligible Applicants

All COM faculty in Gainesville and Jacksonville, Shands and other Health Science Center faculty and staff teams, as well as medical students and residents. Priority will be given to proposals that address one or more of the 2012-2013 quality goals.

Grant Submission Form

Grants must be submitted using the IPQSA application. Please visit the SIP website at http://flbog.sip.ufl.edu to download the IPQSA application.

Budget Information

IPQSAs may be used to support a variety of project related items including consumables, data analysis, and limited FTE support. IPQSAs may not be used to offset capital budget expenses or support expenditures that should be submitted through the regular budget process, such as clinical equipment. Grant monies may not be used to support new FTE lines or ongoing expense commitments that extend beyond the grant period. The use of IPQSA’s funds will be limited to those expense items listed in the grant request budget. Travel expenses to conferences should only be budgeted to make poster or lecture presentations on completed project results with total amount restricted to $5,000 or less. It is also important to follow State and UF Travel requirements which can be found at: http://www.fa.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/TravelBrochure1.pdf

Application Review Process

IPQSA applications must be submitted using the IPQSA Application Form format and include signatures of the Investigator(s), Department Chair, and Division Chief (if applicable). Applications will be peer reviewed.

IRB Submission

IPQSA projects will frequently require data collection involving human subjects (e.g., students, residents, faculty, patients, etc.). Human subject research is subject to review and approval by the UF Health Center IRB. Unless your submitted proposal meets the definition of a CQI project, IPQSA projects approved for funding must be reviewed and approved by the IRB prior to initiating the project.

For answers to common questions about “When is CQI Research?” click here: http://irb.ufl.edu/docs/op-cqi.docx

Many IPQSA projects will likely qualify for either exempt or expedited review by the IRB, which means they can be reviewed by the Chair or Vice Chairs and do not have to be reviewed by the full Board.

To avoid federal regulation compliance issues, we suggest that Gainesville campus contact Peter Iafrate, Chairman of the IRB, at 273-9600  and Jacksonville contact Sheila Austin, Administrative Coordinator IRB, at 904-244-9427and they will advise you about which IRB category your project falls into and the proper IRB forms you need to complete and to whom to submit it to. It is highly recommended that you contact the IRB Chairman when you have completed your grant proposal or even before, to get a head start on the IRB process and minimize any potential for delay.

Project Reports

Awardees must provide brief quarterly progress reports and a final project report at the end of the project support period. Due dates for progress reports will be determined once IRB approval is obtained. IRB approval is required prior to release of funds (see IRB Submission). Ongoing funding is contingent on the receipt of these progress reports. Project sponsors may be required to present project progress at various UF and Shands enterprise forums. Please submit completed quarterly progress reports and any final reports to the contact person noted below.

Contact