Duke EPIC’s work is grounded in the premise that increased implementation of evidence-based practices can improve the care of and outcomes for individuals receiving mental health and medical services. Although evidence-based practices are now available for a range of medical and mental health disorders, research has shown that integrating such practices into frontline care can take up to two decades. ¹
In 2003, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) released their innovative approach to quality improvement, the Breakthrough Series Collaborative. Using the Breakthrough Series Collaborative Methodology, the National Center for Child Traumatic Stress (NCCTS) developed the Learning Collaborative Model which combines quality improvement with rapid implementation. Duke EPIC staff members were trained by IHI in the Breakthrough Series Collaborative model and have been actively involved in the continued development of the NCCTS Learning Collaborative model.
Initially Duke EPIC staff, under the auspice of the Duke University School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, provided consultation to only a few partners. Eventually, as demand for assistance in applying the Collaborative model grew, Duke EPIC officially evolved as a more permanent center.
References
- Balas, E.A., & Boren, S.A. (2000). Managing clinical knowledge for health care improvement. IN: J. Bemmel, & A.T. McCray (Eds.). Yearbook of Medical Informatics 2000: Patient-Centered Systems (pp. 65-70). Stuttgart, Germany: Schattauer Verlagsgesellschaft mbH.
- Insitute for Healthcare Improvement (2003). The Breakthrough Series: IHI’s collaborative model for achieving breakthrough improvement. Cambridge, MA: Institute for Healthcare Improvement
