Step 6: Plan for Sustainability

Once your data shows that you have reached the goal you set for six months you should think

about sustaining your work. If not, it is common for processes to erode and in one or two years

find yourself starting over.

There are five key strategies to support sustainability:

1. Assign a process lead. This person can be someone on the original team or another

member in the practice. They are responsible for calling team meetings when needed,

monitoring the data for any slippage, and planning any new tests that may need to be

completed.

2. Hardwire the process into the practice. Make sure people are trained and know what to

do and ensure training for new staff. Crosstrain critical steps of your process so success

does not depend on one person. Encourage people to build generic tools that can be

used across divisions.

3. Continue to measure but less frequently, eventually only twice a year.

4. Update your leadership periodically to keep the work visible. Finally, use the

sustainability checklist found in the QI Primer.

5. Consider the financial aspects of transition in creating your sustainability plan, e.g.

better coding, the financial model used at your site (fee-for-service, accountable care, or

value-based payment, etc.).