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Change approaches & management tools SeCtion tWo
Strengths and limitations
The main strengths of PDSA cycles are derived from the rapid testing of proposed changes on a small scale. This allows changes to be achieved relatively quickly and cheaply, with good early indication of the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed changes. Data from the pilot intervention enables the early identification of potential problems, and the involvement of staff in the implementation and improvement process means that they are less likely to resist the changes – they are part of the solution and their input is central to the process.
In relation to social care change, PDSA provides a means to test out improvements in service delivery that have been suggested by people accessing services, their carers, staff or other stakeholders and to learn what works and what does not. It will require senior management to allow frontline staff to test out new ideas and share this learning across the organisation.
Further reading
1. Langley GL, Nolan KM, Nolan TW, Norman CL, Provost LP (2009) The Improvement Guide: A Practical Approach to Enhancing Organizational Performance (2nd edition), San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
2. Taylor MJ, McNicholas C, Nicolay C, Darzi A, Bell B and Reed JE (2013) Systematic review of the application of the plan-do-study-act method to improve quality in healthcare, BMJ Quality and Safety, 0, 1–9. Available at: http://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/early/2013/09/11/bmjqs-2013- 001862.full.pdf+html.
3. Quality and Service Improvement Tools, NHS Improvement Guides. Available at: www.institute.nhs.uk/quality_and_service_improvement_tools/quality_and_service_improvement_tools /plan_do_study_act.html
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