PDSA Ramps

• Change Concepts and Ideas
• Change Concepts: Improving Effectiveness of Chronic Disease Prevention and Management
• Change Concepts: Improving Flow
• Change Concepts: Mistake Proofing (Poka Yoke)
• PDSA Cycles
• PDSA Ramps
• Run Charts

Designate a "PDSA ramp" for each change concept or grouping of similar ideas.  During your project, your team will conduct a series of related PDSA cycles to find the optimal way to implement the ideas and concepts within each ramp.  Your team can decide to do each ramp one after the other or at the same time.

Example of a Family Practice Trying to Improve Diabetes Care



Within patient self-management, the team might try a series of PDSA cycles on any of the following:

• giving a copy of the flow sheet to the patient at each visit
• giving a copy of the patient’s own run chart at each visit
• trying out different education materials or pamphlets
• use of group visits
• having a diabetes educator in the office on certain afternoons
• trying different versions of patient action plans
  

Within registry implementation, the team might try a series of PDSA cycles on how to best input data into the registry:

• have receptionist enter data, or verify data entry
• have nurse enter BP, weight, smoking status
• test different methods to flag when patients with diabetes come in (e.g. special colour chart)
  

Reminder system for follow up visits, tests

• test different ways of contacting patients for follow-up
• test different protocols for routine lab tests (e.g. standing orders)