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Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
MD Education

Continuous Learning & Quality Improvement

Our graduates will demonstrate the ability to accurately assess and improve classroom and clinical performance, as well as to acquire, appraise and apply scientific evidence to classroom activities and patient care.

Expand the entries below to learn more about benchmarks in these competencies.

 CLQI - 1a

Accept, seek, and implement feedback.

  • Does Not Meet: Often resists or fails to acknowledge feedback.
  • Phase 1 Benchmark: Acknowledges feedback but may be inconsistent in implementing it or seeking help when challenged by how to implement feedback.
  • Phase 2 Benchmark: Consistently seeks feedback at appropriate times and implements feedback to improve performance in straightforward circumstances. Appropriately seeks help when challenged by how to implement feedback.
  • Phase 3 Benchmark: Consistently seeks feedback at appropriate times and implements feedback to improve performance even in some challenging circumstances. Appropriately seeks help when challenged by how to implement feedback.
  • Aspirational Behavior: Coaches others on the importance of seeking appropriate multisource feedback for self-improvement.

 CLQI - 1b

Provide meaningful feedback to others.

  • Does Not Meet: Only infrequently able to provide respectful feedback that is specific and constructive.
  • Phase 1 Benchmark: Provides respectful feedback that is specific and constructive most of the time.
  • Phase 2-3 Benchmark: Provides respectful feedback that is specific and constructive in terms that are actionable by the recipient.
  • Aspirational Behavior: Coaches others on how to provide respectful feedback that is specific and constructive in terms that are actionable by the recipient. 

 CLQI - 2

Reflect on performance and develop a plan for self-improvement.

  • Does Not Meet: Unable to utilize performance data to develop effective learning plans.
  • Phase 1 Benchmark: Utilizes performance data to develop some effective learning plans; may miss opportunities reflect on all areas at times.
  • Phase 2-3 Benchmark: Prioritizes performance data to develop strategic and effective learning plans. Consistently reflects on most to all identified strengths and opportunities for growth.
  • Aspirational Behavior: Effectively utilizes and prioritizes all performance data for continuous self-improvement. 

 CLQI - 3

Construct ethical clinical and research questions and apply information to solve them. Retrieve, analyze and critically and ethically appraise evidence. 

  • Does Not Meet: Unable to formulate questions and/or uses inappropriate sources of evidence. 
  • Phase 1 Benchmark: Can formulate clinical and research questions with assistance. Identifies and analyzes appropriate and ethical evidence for a given question.
  • Phase 2 Benchmark:Begins to independently formulate appropriate questions. Identifies and critically appraises the evidence in an ethical manner to answer basic clinical/research questions that enhance patient care and value. 
  • Phase 3 Benchmark: Independently formulates appropriate questions. Identifies and critically appraises the evidence in an ethical manner to answer more complex clinical/research questions that enhance patient care and value. 
  • Aspirational Behavior: Consistently develops sophisticated clinical/ research questions and uses the appropriate evidence and ethical analysis to solve them in a way that enhance patient care and value. 

 CLQI - 4

Demonstrate quality improvement knowledge and skill. 

  • Does Not Meet: Lacks knowledge regarding quality improvement in the healthcare setting.
  • Phase 1 Benchmark: Demonstrates knowledge of how health systems produce variable quality of care and how quality improvement activities are used to improve care.
  • Phase 2-3 Benchmark:Demonstrates quality improvement knowledge and skill through application of this knowledge to clinical settings. 
  • Aspirational Behavior: Leads or takes ownership of a quality improvement project.

 CLQI - 5

Articulate and effectively apply relevant patient safety principles, practices, and appropriate patient safety-related behaviors. 

  • Does Not Meet: Demonstrates lack of awareness of threats to patient safety. 
  • Phase 1 Benchmark: Identifies safety-related strengths and weaknesses in the patient care environment. Identifies safety-related behaviors in select patient care settings (i.e., handwashing, positive ID).
  • Phase 2 Benchmark: When prompted, can assess safety-related strengths and weaknesses in the patient care environment and respond to safety threats in the clinical setting. Applies safety-related behaviors in all patient care settings.
  • Phase 3 Benchmark: Without prompting, can actively assess and effectively respond to safety-related strengths and weaknesses in the clinical setting. Applies safety-related behaviors in all patient care settings.
  • Aspirational Behavior: Coaches others on active assessment and effective response to safety-related strengths and weaknesses in the clinical setting. Helps others to apply safety-related behaviors in all patient care settings.

 CLQI - 6
Demonstrate teaching skills when facilitating learning via presentations, small-group learning activities and discussions with faculty and peers.

  • Does Not Meet: Unprepared, poorly organized or does not attempt to engage the learner.
  • Phase 1 Benchmark: Delivers content with clarity and accuracy. Content is organized. Attempts to engage the learner.
  • Phase 2 Benchmark: Delivers content with clarity and accuracy. Content is organized. Utilizes specific techniques (e.g., stories, statistics, audience questions, spaced repetition, etc.) to engage the learner.
  • Phase 3 Benchmark: Delivers content with clarity and accuracy. Responds to learners' needs and utilizes learner engagement techniques effectively (e.g., stories, statistics, audience questions, spaced repetition etc.). Probes learners’ understanding. 
  • Aspirational Behavior: Delivers content that is level appropriate and provokes inquiry. Adapts to learners' needs on the fly. Effectively engages learners and employs evidence-based learning strategies.