Spread & Sustainability
Spread and sustainability are important steps in the quality improvement journey. They consider the growth and longevity of a project.
Spread is when the project or work begins to be implemented in new places. An example may be a project started in one practice working successfully that is then trialled in two or three nearby practices.
Sustainability looks at whether the work can be maintained and embedded into everyday practice. Sustainability is important to quality improvement as quality improvement is not a ‘one-off’ exercise, it is work that aims to improve the ongoing processes and experiences of a system.
Resources
Seven Spreadly Sins - an infographic by IHI highlighting seven of the top things to avoid when trying to spread your work.
The spread and sustainability of quality improvement in healthcare - a document by the QI Hub detailing 10 important factors for successful spread and sustainability.
Spread & Sustainability Guide - Healthcare Improvement Scotland’s guide to spread and sustainability outlines how to take innovation to a broader audience.
NHS England Sustainability Model - a detailed document outlining steps that can be taken to work towards sustainable quality improvement.
