Guide to effective quality improvement reporting in radiology

Substantial societal investments in biomedical research are contributing to an explosion in knowledge that the health delivery system is struggling to effectively implement. Managing this complexity requires ingenuity, research and development, and dedicated resources. Many innovative solutions can be found in quality improvement (QI) activities, defined as the "systematic, data-guided activities designed to bring about immediate, positive changes in the delivery of healthcare in particular settings." QI shares many similarities with biomedical research, but also differs in several important ways. Inclusion of QI in the peer-reviewed literature is needed to foster its advancement through the dissemination, testing, and refinement of theories, methods, and applications. QI methods and reporting standards are less mature in health care than those of biomedical research. A lack of widespread understanding and consensus regarding the purpose of publishing QI-related material also exists. In this document, guidance is provided in evaluating quality of QI-related material and in determining priority of submitted material for publication.