Master of Science in HQPS

Leaders in healthcare quality along with patient safety scientists and policymakers will introduce students to the history, theory, and methodology of quality and safety in healthcare settings. Through readings, interactive exercises, and discussion, students will learn about the challenges of behavior change, public policy drivers of quality improvement, high-risk contexts for error occurrence, methods for risk assessment, and other key areas in improving quality and safety. Students will also analyze the roles of varied healthcare stakeholders in building a safer healthcare system.

This course analyzes the important stakeholders in the United States health industry, how they interact with one another, and how managers can successfully create and deliver value to key stakeholders. It presents and integrates analyses of patients (and those who advocate for them), providers, pharmaceutical and device manufacturers, government, and payers. Under instruction by Joel Shalowitz, MD, MBA, the author of The U.S. Healthcare System: Origins, Organization, and Opportunities, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the industry as it stands today and how it came to be. 

This hands-on course will give students working knowledge of basic data collection and analytical techniques common to the implementation, evaluation, and study of healthcare quality and safety. Students will learn to create and use data to answer empirical questions, with both lecture and laboratory components to develop deeper understanding. Upon completion, students will be equipped to critically evaluate published scientific literature as well as policies, reports, and measures of clinical performance and efficiency.

Students will engage in critical thinking focused on advancing public policy, quality improvement strategies, and medical delivery models that improve the quality of healthcare. Leading national patient safety scientists will offer instruction in advanced theory, content, and skills to develop a level of mastery in the field of patient safety. Course readings and discussions will reflect a deep understanding of metrics for quality and safety and how to implement major improvement strategies. Students will be able to work with simulation tools to develop and run scenarios with safety theory and skills in various healthcare settings and within the context of communication across transitions.

Led by faculty from Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management, students will delve into the principles of leadership and culture in organizations. Discussions will center around organizational behavior, leading effective teams, and change management in preparation for the launch of students' capstone projects. This partnership with one of the preeminent business schools in the nation allows HQPS students access to premier leadership education within a degree focused on eaffecting concrete change. 

The culmination of the HQPS degree is the Capstone project, which stretches across two courses. After students have identified a specific quality or safety improvement to implement in their workplace, remote mentorship helps guide the process of development and measurement. This real-world experience lays the groundwork for future projects students pursue after graduation.