GROW North: Quality Improvement Module

April 15, 2026

Quality Improvement

Quality improvement (QI) is now an expected part of medical practice in Alberta. Since 2021, the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta's Physician Practice Improvement Program has required physicians to complete a practice-driven QI project using data within each five-year cycle. For clinicians without formal training in QI methods, moving from a concern about care to a well-defined, measurable project can feel daunting. Accessing and interpreting practice data, distinguishing QI from research, and navigating Alberta's privacy requirements, including recent Health Information Act and Netcare access updates, add further complexity.

In an effort to address this, PLP Medical Director Dr. Donna Manca, in partnership with NAPCReN, developed the GROW North: Quality Improvement Workshop. The workshop will introduce the Model for Improvement and guide participants through each stage of a practice-based QI project, from building a team and using root cause analysis tools to define the problem, to writing a SMART aim statement, selecting measures and testing change ideas through PDSA cycles. It will also cover when QI requires ethics review, privacy obligations, and practical data sources and supports such as NAPCReN feedback reports, CPCSSN and the Health Quality Council of Alberta.

The workshop was delivered on September 26, 2026, to six rural physicians. Participants were introduced to the My L3 (Lifelong Learning) Plan and were provided with examples of NAPCReN-PLP feedback reports that could support future QI projects.

The GROW North QI workshop turns a mandatory CPSA requirement into a practical, step-by-step process, giving rural physicians the methods, data sources, and privacy guidance they need to move from a concern about care to a measurable QI project in their own practice.