Quality Improvement Decision Support Specialist-Maple Family Health Team (Kingston)

Job Description

Reporting to the Executive Directors of the Maple FHT, Kingston FHT, Queen’s FHT, Lakeland’s FHT, Loyalist FHT and Sharbot Lake FHT, the Quality Improvement Decision Support Specialist (QIDSS) is responsible for supporting partner sites in their quality improvement planning, decision making and implementation activities with a digital health focus. This includes reviewing data quality, supporting teams in the implementation of data quality initiatives, improving the flow and use of information, developing queries and analytical products to support boards and leaders in their quality improvement goals, provide leadership in the area of clinical process change and work with users of the system to help integrate regional and provincial digital initiatives with existing EMR systems

The QIDSS will show leadership in digital health through quality improvement initiatives across the six family health teams, leveraging technology to help providers deliver patient-centered care. 

Roles and responsibilities

Supports digital health systems:

• Support the convergence of digital health technologies to enhance the efficiency of healthcare delivery.
• Make use of communication tools, services and processes to facilitate better healthcare through technology. 
• Liaise with healthcare partners, end users and vendors to ensure improvements to the digital health system increase system efficiency and usability. 

Supports quality improvement decision support capacity building:

• Support the board, senior leadership and other stakeholders in the assessment or quality improvement data and decision support needs. 
• Serve sites as a subject matter expert in data integrity and leads the analysis of data quality issues, using problem-solving methodologies to recommend corrective and preventative action.
• Collaborate closely with multi-disciplinary teams engaged in quality improvement to identify performance measurement information and data quality needs.
• Recognize regional QI initiatives (e.g., OHT-level) and harmonize with local needs.
• Support the work of boards and quality improvement committees in the development and implementation of quality improvement plans.
• Support management decision making by developing, generating, analyzing and interpreting extracted health information.

Improves data integrity and comparability: 

• Assess the underlying causes of poor data quality and leads the identification and implementation of data quality improvement initiatives. 
• Ensure high quality data is available for extraction as needed by developing and implementing systems to identify, track, correct and prevent errors.
• Design, test and deploy tools and processes for extracting and managing performance data. 
• Develop data feedback reports and data checking routines.
• Verify extracted data against source documentation and develop standard operating procedures for data cleaning.
• Communicate data quality issues to FHT leadership in a timely and accurate manner.

Improves data access and use:

• Identify gaps in data availability, and define and implement solutions to close the gaps.
• Provide consultative and analytical support regarding the collection, interpretation, analysis and presentation of data to help teams ensure that clinical information management practices support best practice standards.
• Act as a change agent and coach to inter-disciplinary teams on data management and performance measurement. 
• Conduct analysis and develop reports and presentations using statistical reporting packages, and present this information to a variety of audiences.
• Monitor and evaluate clinical information system functionality from a user and decision support perspective.
• Work with multiple internal data specialists at each FHT to understand data reporting standards and best-practice for extracts. 

Develops effective working relationships and manages work independently:

• Create effective working relationships with the steering committee and multiple teams across member sites.
• Manage data quality, business process improvement, data extraction, report development and other projects using effective project management practices.
• Contribute actively to local and provincial standards development and data harmonization activities.
• Participate in committees and regular provincial QIDSS activities.
• Engage with local organizations (e.g. Public Health) to support regional initiatives and support QI projects.
• Work with team stakeholders to identify QI needs and develop projects using qualitative and quantitative data supports. 

The above responsibilities are not to be considered all - inclusive; the QIDS Specialist may be assigned other related duties in consultation with the QIDS Steering Committee.

Required education and knowledge

• A university degree in a related discipline (Business Administration, Statistics, Health Sciences or Information Management) or equivalent education and experience (masters level preferred).
• Demonstrated expertise in data quality and clinical information management best practices.
• Knowledge of primary care and demonstrated interest in the use of data for quality improvement. 
• Sound knowledge of performance improvement techniques and practices used in healthcare settings, process redesign and system implementation experience.
• Highly effective communication, presentation and interpersonal skills and a proven ability to develop and maintain strong relationships with partners. 
• Comfortable leading group discussions amongst health care stakeholders. 
• Demonstrated proficiency in quantitative analysis and report writing skills.
• Ability to handle a variety of concurrent assignments and to work independently.
• Valid Ontario driver's license. 
• Excellent organizational and project management skills with attention to detail.

Specialized skills and knowledge

• Strong applied knowledge of one or more EMR/EHR systems currently in use in Ontario. 
• Demonstrated proficiency in programming in a language used to extract data from EMR, eg. SQL is required. Ability to create logic statements and follow driver diagrams to support queries.
• Knowledge of additional report writing and statistical analysis packages (SSRS, SSIS, SSAS or Crystal Reports <as locally applicable>) and a demonstrated ability to learn similar packages quickly will be considered an asset.
• Currency in applicable privacy and confidentiality policies and laws regarding the collection and use of health information is required.

Reporting relationship

• This position reports to the Executive Directors from Maple FHT, Kingston FHT, Loyalist FHT, Lakeland’s FHT, Sharbot Lake FHT and Queen’s FHT.

Job specification

• Location: Following a hybrid work model, the incumbent’s time may be divided between a home office and the office at Maple FHT, with occasional visits to partner sites as required by those sites.
• Hours of work: This is a 40-hour per week position; Monday to Friday. Evening and weekend work may be required in exceptional circumstances. It is anticipated that the incumbent will flex their hours in those circumstances such that their total work week remains 40 hours. 
• Pay range: $72,068 - $80,076 
• Status: Full-time, permanent.
• The incumbent must be compliant with Maple’s COVID vaccine policy which requires full vaccination