An Aim statement brings the teams together to create a shared vision and focus. It is important that the Aim statement is written with input as a team.
Intro to QI: Project Charter
Aim Statement
What is an Aim Statement?
- An Aim statement is an explicit description of a team's desired outcomes, which are expressed in a measurable and time-specific way
- It answers the questions - what are we aiming to improve, by how much, and by when
- The Aim statement does not answer the question how
- It should be created after your team’s Problem statement has been agreed
HINT
Sometimes the current state is unknown when drafting the Problem and Aim statements since baseline data if baseline data is still being collected. In this case, use variables such as X% until the data is collected and the Problem and Aim statements can be more definitive.
How Can it Help?
How High to Set the Aim?
Look at benchmarks for best practice (what is the best the practice has done?).
Also look at performance of other practices, hospitals, and possibly other industries.
Aims Should be SMART
The Aim statement should be written using the SMART mnemonic:
Specific – What is the target population?
Measureable – How will success be measured?
Achievable – Is this goal achievable, given available resources and time?
Relevant – How is this relevant to strategic priorities?
Timebound – When will this be completed?
How to Define an Aim Statement
Step 1: Draft a SMART Aim Statement
- Draft a SMART aim statement with the team
- Create a clear vision and gain agreement on the purpose of the improvement work
- It should be one sentence that clearly outlines the team’s agreed vision and desired outcomes, using the SMART mnemonic
Step 2: Link Back to Problem Statement
Review your aim draft aim statement against your team’s problem statement and ask the following questions:
- Does our targeted area for improvement specifically address our problem?
- Is the targeted rate of improvement realistic and measurable?
- Can it be achieved within the specified time frame?
Step 3: Finalise Aim Statement
After baseline data has been collected and the process has been mapped out, review the Aim statement and make changes if needed.
IMPORTANT REMINDER:
It is very important that your team have been part of the process of creating the Aim statement.
All future improvement activities will be referencing your aim, so ensure your team are in agreement with your aim statement’s explicit description of the desired outcomes.
Exercise 1: Write down what information is missing from this Aim statement:
Reduce the average process time for documentation by 50%
- The statement is not specific in that it does not say which documentation or where.
- There is no timeframe for when this will be completed. Without a timeframe, it is difficult to assess whether this is achievable.
This is a more complete Aim statement:
To reduce unnecessary administrative burden on staff, we will reduce the average time to complete shift turnover documentation in Ward 3 by 50% to 22 minutes by September 30
Exercise 2: Test the completeness of the Aim statement by asking, "Is this Aim statement SMART?"
“To reduce unnecessary administrative burden on staff, we will reduce the average time to complete shift turnover documentation in Ward 3 by 50% to 22 minutes by 30 September”.
Type the parts of the Aim statement into the relevant sections below:
Perhaps your answers were similar to:
Specific | Shift turnover documentation in Ward 3 |
Measurable | Average time to complete documentation |
Achievable | 50% reduction by 30 September
|
Relevant | Reduce unnecessary administrative burden on staff |
Time-bound | By 30 September |