Abstract

Since the 2013 European Respiratory Society/American Thoracic Society declaration to address respiratory health inequalities, the evidence has demonstrated a further widening of that gap. A change in methodology is required to translate policy into better outcomes. Quality improvement (QI), a technique adapted from commercial industry, has been applied effectively to this end to a range of health challenges globally. QI offers an opportunity to address health inequalities for respiratory patients if the following principles are adopted: 1) agree on clear aims to align efforts across the respiratory community, 2) tailor approaches to each target population, 3) agree on the metrics collected to demonstrate success at scale, 4) build improvement capability in the respiratory community, and 5) rigorously evaluate the effectiveness of QI initiatives at tackling disparities in respiratory health outcomes. Establishing communities of practice that work collectively on these agreed aims through sharing data, leveraging research, progressing a portfolio of QI initiatives and rapidly disseminating knowledge offers a practical approach to reduce inequalities in outcomes across patients with respiratory conditions.

Cite as: Pham J, McKenzie L, Martin L, et al. Can a quality improvement approach reduce inequalities in respiratory health? In: Sinha IP, Lee A, Katikireddi SV, et al., eds. Inequalities in Respiratory Health (ERS Monograph). Sheffield, European Respiratory Society, 2023; pp. 220–227 [https://doi.org/10.1183/2312508X.10005322].