Quality Improvement Decision Support Specialist

Reporting to the Executive Director and working closely with a steering committee, the Quality Improvement Decision Support Specialist (QIDSS) is responsible for supporting partner sites in their quality improvement planning, decision making and implementation activities. 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 and teams engaged in clinical process change.

The QIDSS will extract health information from one or more electronic medical records (EMRs) systems running in participating practices and other sources. The incumbent is also be expected to participate in broader data harmonization initiatives and champion the use of data and performance analytics within and across Ontario’s Family Health Teams.

**Roles and Responsibilities**

**Supports Quality improvement decision support capacity building**:

- Supports the board, senior leadership and other stakeholders in the assessment or quality improvement data and decision support needs
- Collaborate closely with multi-disciplinary teams engaged in quality improvement to identify performance measurement information and data quality 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**:

- Assesses 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.

**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 QIDS activities

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
- 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, mySQL, etc.
- Knowledge of additional report writing and statistical analysis packages (Google Looker, Power