Teaching the quality improvement process to junior medical students: the Nebraska experience.

ABSTRACT

To teach the continuous quality improvement (CQI) process to junior medical students at the University of Nebraska during their rural family medicine preceptorship, we designed and implemented a population health project in 1998. This project requires students to select a problem affecting a population in their preceptor's practice, analyze that problem, and suggest a solution or remediation using CQI principles. Support for the students during their project includes Web-based examples and readings. Results of this project have included national presentations and changes in several preceptors' practice patterns. This project has been well accepted by preceptors and students.