Surgical quality improvement projects show room for better planning

The evaluation of 242 surgical quality improvement projects revealed an average pre-conduct score of 52%, highlighting suboptimal planning across the board. Projects excelled in goal specification (65%) but struggled with strategic planning (44%) and problem detailing (52%). Notably, few projects addressed possible limitations (5%) or contextual issues (12%). These findings underscore the need for enhanced preparation in surgical quality initiatives, suggesting the American College of Surgeons quality framework as a potential guide for improvement.