The Excellence through Quality Improvement Project (E-QIP), Ontario Health, and the Knowledge Institute on Child and Youth Mental Health and Addictions are partnering again this year to deliver our 4th virtual conference. This year’s conference, QI Innovations: Building a Culture of Quality will take place on April 23rd, 2024. We are pleased to announce we are currently accepting abstract submissions for concurrent session presentations and poster presentations until February 2nd, 2024.

Tell us your story of how you are building a culture of quality at your organization.

Building QI & Data capacity is key to developing and embedding a culture of quality improvement. We invite you to share your journey of building a culture of quality at your organization, including the lessons you learned along the way, with like-minded people at our upcoming conference: QI Innovations: Building a Culture of Quality.

We are currently accepting abstracts that explore the following four streams:

Stream #1: Why QI?

Engaging in Quality Improvement (QI) activities can lead to greater satisfaction in your work. Tell us how you demonstrated the value of QI and motivated others to join you in your journey including the lessons you learned along the way, whether you were successful or not. Topics may include but are not limited to:

• How engaging in QI improved staff, individuals, families and communities’ experiences.
• How you used data to communicate the importance of QI efforts.
• How you used various activities to communicate the importance of QI efforts within your organization or collaboratively (e.g. advisory committees, keeping QI on meeting agendas.)

Stream #2: The Who of Quality Improvement (QI): Role of People in QI- Engagement and Mobilization:

QI is a team sport. Who is on your roster? While leadership at all levels is important, we know that change requires involvement from everyone. Tell us your story about how you engaged people in your QI work including the lessons you learned along the way, whether you were successful or not. Topics may include but are not limited to:

• Who you involved in your QI team.
• How you used data in your strategy to involve people.
• Your process for engaging people: this could include communication and/or change management strategies.

Stream #3: The How of QI: Sowing the Seeds for a Culture of Quality

We can learn from our foundational elements of QI culture: leadership commitment, QI infrastructure, teamwork/collaboration, client focus, employee empowerment, continuous process improvement methodology. Tell us your story of how you planted the seeds for a culture of quality including the lessons you learned along the way, whether you were successful or not. Topics may include but are not limited to:

• The approach and methods you used/are using to build a culture of quality (e.g. use of data, QI methods, staff training and roles, board engagement, adopting a ‘growth mindset,’ etc)

Stream #4: Sustaining Your Gains: Nurturing the Seeds of a Culture of Quality

Building a culture of quality for the long term aligns with our work in this sector of sustainable Mental Health and Addiction (MHA) care. Tell us your story of sustaining a culture of quality at your organization including the lessons you learned along the way, whether you were successful or not. Topics may include but are not limited to:

• The approach and methods you used/are using to sustain a culture of quality at your organization (e.g. use of data, staff training and roles, board engagement, QIP planning, etc)

Abstracts will be accepted until February 2nd, 2024, at 5 pm EST

All abstract submissions will be evaluated using the following criteria:

• Alignment to one of the specific streams identified above and the overall conference theme - building a culture of quality,
• Clarity and coherence of the abstract submission,
• Incorporation of the voice/perspective of PWLE, and
• Incorporation of equity lens/mention of how your organization is incorporating EDI principles into your quality work.

 We welcome abstract submissions from all and especially encourage submissions from E-QIP and Quest alumni and current project teams.

Interested in submitting an abstract, but not sure where to start?

E-QIP is pleased to offer the opportunity to assist you in creating your abstract for this conference. Please click here to request a consultation for support in developing your abstract in discussing your ideas.

Organizations interested in submitting multiple abstracts for the conference are welcomed to do so. Please submit one abstract per submission. We will let you know by February 23rd, 2024, if your abstract has been accepted as a concurrent session presentation/workshop or a poster presentation. Please note, final versions of poster presentations will be due by March 31, 2024.

Last year’s conference, QI Innovations: Better Data, Better Decisions, Better Outcomes was extremely well attended with over 1000 registrants and over 600 attendees on the day of the virtual event. Our virtual Exhibitor Hall and Poster Gallery were the most popular areas of our Conference with each receiving over 500 unique attendees.

Please contact Sherry Sim at sherry@innovative4you.com or call 1-866-655-8548 if you require any further information.

Sincerely,

The Conference Planning Committee

Please provide presenter names as you would like them to appear in the conference program:

Please note: Based on the number of presentations we receive, we may have to combine presentations. If your abstract is not accepted, you may have an opportunity to present a poster presentation.

Please note: The presenter may submit multiple abstracts for the conference. One submission for each presentation. If your abstract is accepted, we will reach out for your full abstract and your AV/Tech needs.

The presenter may submit multiple abstracts for the conference. One submission for each presentation. If your abstract is accepted, we will reach out for your full abstract and your AV/Tech needs.

ACCEPTANCE AS A PRESENTER:

• Presenters must register for the conference.
• Presenters will be asked to submit an electronic version of their presentation two weeks prior to the conference.
• Recordings and slide decks of presentations will be made available to conference delegates following the conference.
• Presenters are encouraged to provide written material (e.g. handouts) to conference participants.
• Presenters will be provided with a designated time to present by the conference committee.
• Accepted presenters will be provided with a virtual essential training on the use of the conference platform. This will involve a IT Tech Check prior to the conference.