Using the Chronic Care Model and the Model for Improvement, COAT members work with primary care practices on quality improvement activities to promote an integrated approach to the prevention, assessment, identification and management of pediatric obesity within their clinics.
In 2005-2006, three medical practices were involved in “Small Steps to Health”, a pilot collaborative funded by Steps to Health King County.
In 2006-2007, eight practices participated in the expanded collaborative “Children’s Health Improvement Collaborative (CHIC)”. The participating medical practices each sent three people (usually a physician, a nurse and an office staff person) to three one-day learning sessions. The participants participated in monthly conference calls and collected and reported data on a small number of clinical measures (e.g., the percentage of patients, ages 2 to 20, with body mass index (BMI) percentiles charted at well-child visits).
By disseminating evolving best practices through these kinds of learning collaboratives, COAT helps to improve provider knowledge and proficiency, self-management support, linkage with community resources, outcome measures and coordination of services within primary care practices.
Expansion of the Children’s Health Improvement Collaborative is being planned as part of the 2008 Washington State Department of Health quality improvement efforts.
Join the 2008 Washington State Collaborative or find out more (PDF).
Other statewide learning collaboratives: