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Presenting QI Projects

Presenting your QI project is more than giving a report — it’s a chance to tell the story of your improvement journey. A compelling presentation engages stakeholders, spreads effective practices, and celebrates your team’s efforts. Ideally, your goal is to:

  • Communicate the aim, methods, data, and impact of your work.
  • Align with the interests of your audience (executives, clinicians, frontline staff, QI leaders, or a mixed group).
  • Use visual tools and structured storytelling to highlight what worked, what didn’t, and what you learned.
  • Inspire action — whether that means gaining support, spreading ideas, or sustaining change across the organization.

Key Steps

  • Know your audience and tailor your message to their priorities:
    • Executives: ROI, alignment with strategy, risk reduction, sustainability.
    • Physicians: Clinical relevance, reliable data, patient outcomes.
    • Nurses/Frontline Staff: Workflow, feasibility, teamwork, and impact on patients/staff.
    • QI Leaders: Methodology, data strategy, PDSA learning, spread potential.
    • Mixed Audiences: Include elements for each group so everyone sees value.
  • Tell a compelling story that aligns with the QI process:  
    • Define the problem with context and a meaningful patient or staff story that appeals to the heart.
    • Share your SMART aim and theory of change (driver diagram).
    • Summarize milestones and tested changes (PDSAs).
    • Show results with clear visuals (run charts, control charts, bar graphs).
    • Reflect on lessons learned — what worked, what didn’t, and why.
    • Conclude with next steps, spread opportunities, and calls to action.
  • Use effective visuals to showcase your data: Incorporate process maps, driver diagrams, tables, and graphs. Try to keep slides clean and uncluttered. Remember that the goal of visuals is to enhance not overwhelm your message.
  • Practice and engage: Aim for a concise presentation and try to create time for reflection and discussion from your audience.

Resources to Get Started

Read
  • Presentation Guidelines to Tell Your Improvement Story – This guide provide tips on how to incorporate different components of quality improvement process into a presentation as well as general presenting tips. This tool is framed for a seven minute presentation but the timing can be adjusted for any length.
Use
Watch
  • IHQI Symposium Presentations – We host an annual Symposium for our Improvement Scholars and Fellows program. These could be examples of how you can present your quality improvement projects. 

 

Related QI Concepts