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‘The combined and unceasing efforts of everyone—healthcare professionals, patients and their families, researchers, payers, planners and educators—to make the changes that will lead to better patient outcomes (health), better system performance (care) and better professional development’.1 There are many ways to define quality improvement but this is one of our favourites. At its core, quality improvement is about making care for patients better and providing that care more efficiently and enjoyably. It involves everyone regardless of seniority or role or the size of the project.
Why is open quality needed?
BMJ Open Quality is a new and expanded rebrand of BMJ Quality Improvement Reports. We hope to provide a platform for everyone to disseminate their work and projects. We will focus on research and projects that are relevant to patients and healthcare providers. We will consider a whole range of work including larger more scientifically rigorous quality improvement as well as smaller projects that may not receive the same attention but are important resources for clinicians. We will look at articles covering original research, local, national and international quality improvement projects, value-based healthcare improvement initiatives and educational improvement work. We have tried to make it as easy as possible so that authors who submit to BMJ Quality & Safety can request their papers be cascaded to BMJ Open Quality with any peer reviews if their manuscript is rejected.
Who are open quality?
We have assembled an experienced editorial board as well as enthusiastic associate editors. We have a database of passionate peer reviewers who will provide constructive and useful recommendations. We will provide a rapid turnaround from acceptance to publication. BMJ Open Quality will use a continuous publication model so that all articles will be published online as soon as authors have signed off on proofs. All articles will be included in PubMed.
Why publish in open quality?
By submitting your work to BMJ Open Quality you will be guaranteed an international readership and the BMJ stamp of excellence. You will be submitting your work to a community of professionals that will really benefit from your work and engage with it.
What we hope to achieve
We want to create a lively journal that readers can participate in fully. We hope to provide a journal for all those interested in quality improvement and a resource for those seeking examples of projects to replicate in their own institutions. On the website, you will find relevant podcasts, videos and templates to help you do your own quality improvement work. We will be creating tags so that you can look at all quality improvement projects that focus on ‘handover’ or ‘insulin monitoring’ making it easy for busy clinicians seeking guidance on how to improve their own service.
How can I get involved?
We are always looking for peer reviewers and value their input and time. Please email info.bmjoq@bmj.com for further information. Our twitter handle is @BMJQuality, so tweet your article when it gets accepted and have online debates with colleagues.
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Footnotes
Competing interests None declared.
Provenance and peer review Commissioned; internally peer reviewed.