Quality Improvement vs Evidence-Based Practice: Both are Needed

Why Quality Improvement Alone Isn’t Enough Without Evidence

Quality improvement (QI) is everywhere, from manufacturing to education to healthcare. QI is the systematic approach to identify inefficiencies and implement changes to improve outcomes. Regardless of the industry, we engage in multiple cycles of plan, do, check, and act or plan, do, study, and act. But at some point, we have to stop and ask:

Are we actually improving anything, or are we just throwing spaghetti on the wall to see what sticks?

I recently had a conversation with a client about their frustrations related to an issue they faced. They had seen an increase in safety incidents, and although the core team was meeting weekly to discuss each case, the incidents continued to occur. Why were they still occurring if they were hyper-focused on the issue and meeting weekly to discuss root cause and next steps?

Quality Improvement:

Action bias is the tendency to do “something” even if it is ineffective, rather than doing “nothing”. Taking action without reflection, without reviewing the existing evidence, gives the illusion of progress. Here is the problem with Quality improvement vs evidence-based practice: although it is a great way to help organize thinking, test ideas, and reduce variation, if we don’t start with a review of the best available evidence, we’re just spinning our wheels.

Quality Improvement without evidence-based informed decisions leads to leaders spinning and not going anywhere.

Spinning wheels are not efficient, and activity doesn’t equal progress.

What Does the Evidence Say?

Subject matter experts across industries such as healthcare, education, tech, and logistics constantly conduct research and publish insights. Evidence-based practice is when decisions are based on a combination of critical thinking, the best available evidence, and customer preferences. Yet how often do we start a QI initiative by asking, “What does the evidence say?” This often-skipped step leads to wasted time and effort.

A Call to All Industries

Whether you’re in a hospital or a startup, we must go beyond blind improvement and move toward evidence-based informed change. That means:

• Reviewing existing research before testing new processes.

• Engaging experts who understand the context and the data.

• Measuring outcomes that matter and not just what’s easy to track.

Let’s Do Better: Quality Improvement & Evidence-Based Practice

 QI is a powerful tool, but only when paired with insight, intention, and evidence.

MP Insight Solutions LLC is here to help you move from impulse to evidence-informed change; we are here to elevate your outcomes.