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As part of a project called Implementing Diagnostic Excellence Across Systems (IDEAS), RAND is recruiting healthcare sites that have or can create a quality improvement (QI) team that will commit to using a resource to help them track and learn from data to improve diagnostic safety.

Measure Dx is a tool that supports measuring, tracking, and learning from a healthcare organization’s commonly available diagnostic safety data. Measure Dx aims to help QI teams improve diagnostic performance.

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

• What is Measure Dx?
• How does Measure Dx improve diagnostic safety?
• Why should I (or my organization) participate in IDEAS?
• Who can participate?
• What is the timeline for IDEAS?
• What is needed from sites to participate in IDEAS?
• How will RAND support participating sites?
• How can I learn more?

What is Measure Dx?

Measure Dx is a resource developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) that supports QI teams with all levels of experience at healthcare organizations to implement processes to learn from diagnostic safety events.

By using this resource, healthcare organizations will be able to implement the steps needed to develop and use measurement strategies so that they can detect, analyze, and learn from diagnostic safety events.

How does Measure Dx improve diagnostic safety?

Measure Dx is a tool that helps QI teams identify, measure, and learn from diagnostic safety events through the following steps:

1. Prepare your organization for diagnostic safety measurement.
2. Assess organizational readiness (i.e., self-assessment).
3. Decide on measurement strategies.
4. Review and analyze cases of interest.

Measure Dx was developed at MedStar in partnership with Baylor College of Medicine and tested in collaboration with clinicians at multiple institutions.

Why should I (or my organization) participate in IDEAS?

• Improve care and minimize the risk of harm from diagnostic safety events in your organization.
• Assemble or strengthen a team with expertise in diagnostic safety and gain experience measuring diagnostic quality with support from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and other leading healthcare quality organizations.
• Build relationships and trust with colleagues in your organization, who may be able to offer support with future diagnostic challenges.
• Connect with and learn from other participating organizations through the project’s Learning Collaborative.
• Reduce opportunities for legal claims and lawsuits related to diagnostic safety events.
• Contribute to the greater good by using and evaluating Measure Dx in practice.
• Obtain free continuing education credits through our partner, IHI.
• Engage in activities in support of Maintenance of Certification improvement requirements (applicable to clinicians in certain specialties).
• Receive a modest stipend as a small token of appreciation (for each participating site that completes the project).

Who can participate?

Any healthcare setting or site can benefit from using Measure Dx, including sites that are new to learning about diagnostic safety and those with expertise in this area.

A site can participate if they have or can create a QI team with access to patient-level data. This QI team should include a clinical lead with diagnostic expertise and a quality manager with operations expertise. Entire ambulatory clinics or hospitals can participate, as can specific units (e.g., emergency departments, intensive care units).

What is the timeline for IDEAS?

Implementation of Measure Dx is expected to begin June 2025.

What is needed from sites to participate in IDEAS?

Participating sites will be asked to complete the four main steps of the Measure Dx process and share relevant aggregated information with RAND, which will assess the effectiveness of Measure Dx and its learning process. Participating sites are expected to:

• Participate in this 2-year effort, with the first training starting in June 2025.
• Demonstrate executive leadership support and commitment via a letter of support.
• Have or create a QI team that includes: (1) a clinical lead with diagnostic expertise and (2) a quality manager with operations expertise.
• Identify a site champion to coordinate project activities. The site champion must be an active member of your diagnostic safety QI team.
• Participate in data collection activities to help evaluate Measure Dx implementation (e.g., completing a brief organizational readiness self-assessment and other short surveys, participating in individual interviews and group meetings, and collecting existing de-identified aggregate diagnostic safety data). Many of these activities could take place during usual QI meetings or scheduled activities.
• Obtain Data Use Authorization and Institutional Review Board (IRB) approvals (if required by your site), or submit approval to defer to RAND’s IRB, in a timely manner.

How will RAND support participating sites?

• RAND and its partners will provide training (handouts and webinars) directly to all sites at the beginning of the project before implementation starts. Continuing education (CE) credits will be provided to participants who complete CE-eligible trainings.
• RAND will provide support during implementation that includes resource materials and implementation tips. Materials will be provided directly to site participants and will be available on a secure learning platform.  
• RAND will facilitate a Learning Collaborative of participating sites, provide a dedicated email for questions, and offer “office hour” sessions with content experts, including healthcare improvement leaders from IHI.
• RAND will conduct analyses to determine the impact of the intervention and can share this information with your site at the end of the study.

How can I learn more?

Select the button below to ask for more information or to be enrolled in the study. You can also register for a live information webinar or email IDEASproject@rand.org.