Quality improvement (QI) is an ongoing process used to assess and improve work practices and client care across clinical and educational settings. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) play an active role in QI efforts, and their practice may be shaped by QI initiatives.  

To learn more about why QI matters, when and how to measure quality, and where QI efforts take place, see Quality Improvement.

To see examples of QI frameworks used in SLP-led initiatives across different health care environments, see Examples of Quality Improvement Activities.

This resource includes topics relevant to SLPs that help support safe, effective, and accountable care.

• QI Frameworks
• How to Start a QI Project
• Accreditation
• Risk Management
• Consumer Satisfaction

QI Frameworks

SLPs can use different models to guide QI efforts. The right model depends on the setting, goals, and available data. Below are a few common frameworks:

How to Start a QI Project

• Start small—Focus on one area or a small group of individuals to demonstrate the need for a larger-scale project.
• Build partnerships—Work with nurses, doctors, or quality and/or safety teams. Interprofessional collaboration can help shape your project and ensure that it aligns with your facility’s goals.
• Choose a QI framework—Select a method (like PDSA or DMAIC) to keep your project focused and trackable.
• Have a clear plan—Lay out your timeline, goals, and how you’ll measure results.
  • Know your audience—Tailor your message to what leadership cares about:
    • For cost concerns, highlight how your project saves time or resources.
    • For safety and patient care concerns, focus on better outcomes, consumer satisfaction, or reduced risk.
  • Align with accreditation goals—Show how your project supports standards from The Joint Commission, Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), or other bodies.
  • Show interdisciplinary value—Emphasize how your project helps the whole team—not just SLPs.
• Use meaningful data—Track changes with chart audits, patient satisfaction data, or patient outcomes data to show measurable impact.
• Humanize the data—Pair your data with a compelling patient story to show why the issue matters.

To see examples of QI frameworks used in SLP-led initiatives across different health care environments, see Examples of Quality Improvement Activities.

Accreditation

Accreditation is a review process used to determine whether an organization meets established benchmarks or minimum standards of quality and accountability set by the accrediting body.

How do accrediting bodies help improve quality?

Accrediting groups like The Joint Commission review how health care organizations improve their services. They’ve shifted the focus from checking charts to ensuring that health care facilities are actively improving. Accrediting bodies assess the performance of a health care organization by looking at that organization’s patient care before, during, and after it happens.

Accrediting bodies assess the following key areas:

• quality and appropriateness of care
• diagnostic accuracy
• treatment efficacy
• appropriateness of referrals
• outcomes of services provided

Accrediting bodies evaluate how SLPs and other providers address these factors both during care and after patient discharge.

Risk Management

Risk management is a process to identify, understand, and mitigate consequences that could impact patient safety, cost of care, and legal liability. Risk management looks at the following aspects of an organization:

• safety and security measures
• infection control
• incident review
• prevention strategies
• provider and consumer education

Facilities often train SLPs and other staff on safety and risk management—including infection prevention, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and fall risk reduction strategies. Facilities conduct and document training based on the facility and/or state guidelines.

Why is risk management important for SLPs?

Like other providers, SLPs face risks related to infection control, patient safety, and legal liability. A strong risk management program helps prevent harm, reduce costs, and improve patient care (Dykes et al., 2023; McGowan et al., 2023). In health care, everyone shares responsibility for keeping patients safe and reducing risks, and this is often a part of the facility’s policies or QI efforts.

Consumer Satisfaction

Consumer satisfaction is a key measure in QI. It tells us how consumers feel about the quality, effectiveness, and outcomes of the services that they receive.

Why measure consumer satisfaction?

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), collecting consumer feedback can help

• improve service delivery and clinical outcomes,
• build client trust and encourage return visits, and
• give information to people who are choosing between several health care facilities.

Collecting consumer feedback might be done through tools that are required by some insurance payers. One example is the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) surveys—a tool used by CMS.

How is consumer satisfaction measured?

Facilities can use surveys and questionnaires to evaluate a patient’s perception of

• facility quality,
• timeliness of service,
• interactions with staff, and
• treatment effectiveness.

For more information, you can review a sample of surveys from HCAHPS.