The SusQI Education Project: Putting theory into practice

The SusQI Education project (2019-22) has facilitated the integration of sustainability into health professions education on quality improvement (QI). The project centred around three objectives:

1. to demonstrate the inclusion of sustainable healthcare principles into undergraduate and post graduate health professions quality improvement education
2. to evaluate the impact of this inclusion, including engagement with QI 
3. to accelerate the national adoption of successful approaches by UK universities, Foundation Schools and other providers of QI education

Embedding SusQI into health professions education

CSH has trained fourteen Beacon Sites in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland to lead on SusQI teaching in their institution and to embed sustainability into Quality Improvement education. Disciplines include undergraduate and postgraduate medical, nursing, dentistry, and allied health professionals.

Learn how to become a SusQI Beacon site here

SusQI research papers and publication

The SusQI approach, resources and evaluation findings have been disseminated nationally and internationally, including at AMEE 2020 & 2021, ISQua 2021, the IHI Forum 2021, and have been published in various journals:

“Concrete ways we can make a difference”: a multi-centre, multi-professional evaluation of sustainability in quality improvement education - Many learners described that a new sustainability ‘lens’ guided their professional practice beyond their project work, and concepts of sustainability increased motivation for and engagement with QI.

“Embedding sustainability in quality improvement in healthcare education: the educator’s experience” – Due to be completed in June 2022, this study explores the educator’s experience of embedding sustainability into QI teaching, including an analysis of current enablers and barriers.

Sustainability in QI (SusQI): A case study in undergraduate medical education - Students reported improvements in knowledge, confidence, and attitudes in both sustainable healthcare and quality improvement, as well as a willingness to change practices to reduce environmental impact in their healthcare roles. 

Sustainability in QI (SusQI): Challenges and Strategies for translating undergraduate learning into practice - Students who applied their learning in clinical settings were internally motivated and self-directed, but required time and opportunities to complete projects. Other students were wary about disrupting established hierarchies and practices, or frustrated by institutional inertia.

Learning resources

Several learning resources have been created through the SusQI education project, including:

The SusQI Beacon Site Programme

In 2022, CSH is moving to a more ‘intensive spread’ phase: further Beacon Sites are being recruited, while all Sites will continue to be provided with high-quality open-access resources. A new additional element is the enhanced support available through a new SusQI Academy, in addition to CSH’s existing courses, Green Ward Competition and Fellows and Scholars Programme.

The SusQI Education Project is funded and supported by Health Education England, The Health Foundation, and Kings College London. It has been delivered with our QI Education Fellows, Dr Victoria Stanford (current), Dr Rosie Spooner (2020-2021) and Dr Stuart d'Arch Smith (2019-20).