Small Changes, Big Impact: Getting started with Quality Improvement

Veterinary Quality Improvement (QI) is an essential aspect of delivering optimal care and ensuring patient safety. Laura Playforth, IVC Evidensia's Group Quality Improvement Director, shares her experiences and passion for QI. Laura emphasises the need for a systematic approach to QI, involving measurement, change, evaluation, and continuous improvement. Laura looks forward to a future with an integration of technology and data analytics to further enhance veterinary QI and improve patient outcomes.

Laura Playforth:

Laura, IVC Evidensia’s Group Quality Improvement Director, is responsible for driving our culture of continually improving the care we deliver across the company. After graduating from the University of Edinburgh in 1999, she worked in small animal practices until 2007 before joining Vets Now where she held several roles, the most recent being Professional Standards Director. Laura attained her MSc in Advancing Healthcare Practice in 2019 and is the current Vice Chair of the RCVS Knowledge Quality Improvement Advisory Board. She has particular interests in improvement culture, client communication and how QI improves team wellbeing. 

Daniella Dos Santos

Daniella graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2012 having previously obtained a degree in Molecular Genetics from Kings College. She has since worked in first opinion, small animal and exotic pet practices across the Southeast. In 2019, she became the youngest-ever President of the British Veterinary Association, leading the profession through the height of the pandemic. During her time as President, she was instrumental in the association’s Diversity and Inclusion work, as well as the development and launch of the Good Workplaces Policy. Daniella was the recipient of the RCVS Inspiration Award 2021 for her leadership and became an RCVS Fellow in 2021 for Meritorious Contributions to the Profession. She is a trustee of the PetPlan Charitable Trust.

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Please note that the views expressed by hosts and guests in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of IVC Evidensia.

Links:

VDS Vetsafe: www.vds-vetsafe.co.uk

RCVS Knowledge: https://knowledge.rcvs.org.uk/quality-improvement/

RCVS Guidelines: https://knowledge.rcvs.org.uk/quality-improvement/tools-and-resources/guidelines/

RCVS Checklists: https://knowledge.rcvs.org.uk/quality-improvement/tools-and-resources/checklists/

Canine Cruciate Registry: https://ccr.rcvsknowledge.org/

Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network (SAVSNET): https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/savsnet/about/

Vet Compass: https://www.rvc.ac.uk/vetcompass/about