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Quality and Outcomes Research Unit (QuORU) terms of reference

Scope

QuORU Board

• Oversee the development and implementation of quality/outcome metrics and research delivered and developed in line with agreed timescales
• Ensure a coordinated approach to the future development of monitoring and measuring of quality across the Trust
• Provide a vehicle in which outputs from quality monitoring initiatives and research can be raised at the Trust's Clinical Quality Monitoring Group (CQMG) and ultimately, if applicable, the Chief Executive’s Advisory Group (CEAG)
• Engagement with national bodies to share learning, encourage adoption of QuORU indicator definitions and highlight gaps in existing national data collections

Key priorities 2011-2012

• Engage with clinicians and external organisations to identify appropriate benchmarking data for all indicators (where possible)
• Conduct further analysis to identify statistical step changes in performance to focus attention on delivering improvements
• Foster integration with primary care data and examine pathways of care
• Increase the number of high quality research publications relating to QuORU
• Develop at least one new indicator for each specialty as per the priorities to be agreed by specialties and divisions
• Monitor newly published NICE quality standards and develop measurable indicators or set up proxy measures for other indicators (where possible)
• Provide regular communication to specialties and divisions around indicators and performance
• Support clinicians using indicator data to deliver service and clinical improvements for patients

Structure

Membership

The group will be chaired by the QuORU Clinical Director, the Deputy Chair or the Director of Informatics and Patient Administration.

Membership comprises of the following staff:

• Domenico Pagano, Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon, QuORU Clinical Director (Chair)
• Richard Thompson, Consultant Physician, Acute Medicine Lead (Deputy Chair)
• Daniel Ray, Director Informatics and Patient Administration
• Martin Miller, Consultant Physician (Overall Medicine Lead)
• Tim Matthews, Consultant Surgeon (Outpatients Lead)
• David Green, Consultant Physician (Anaesthetics Lead)
• John Whiting, Consultant Surgeon (Surgery Lead)
• Nick Freemantle, Professor of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, UCL (Statistical Academic Lead)
• Matthew Richardson, Statistician
• Francisco Leyva, Consultant Cardiologist (Specialty Medicine Lead)
• Jamie Coleman, Consultant Physician (Generic Specialty Lead)
• Deborah Mortiboy, Consultant Microbiologist (Pharmacy, Pathology and Dietetics Lead)
• Ian McCafferty, Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Consultant (Imaging, Therapy Services and Radiotherapy Lead)
• Dave Rosser, Executive Medical Director
• Kay Fawcett, Executive Chief Nurse
• Imogen Gray, Head of Quality Development 
• Mark Garrick, Head of Medical Director’s Services
• Anupama Chawla, Clinical Intelligence Analyst
• Informatics Department Secretary (Minute taker)

Quorum

QuORU Board meetings will be deemed quorate if the Chair, Deputy Chair or nominated deputy plus a minimum of two QuORU clinical leads are in attendance.

Recruitment

Due to significant interest in the QuORU, the Board has established a recruitment process for vacant QuORU lead posts as follows:

• Advertisement completed by the Chair, Deputy Chair and Director Informatics and Patient Administration
• Advertisement emailed to all consultants requesting expressions of interest
• Expressions of interest reviewed by the Chair, Deputy Chair and Director Informatics and Patient Administration
• Suitable applicants invited to informal interview with the Chair, Deputy Chair and Director Informatics and Patient Administration
• Outcome communicated to applicants and then to QuORU Board

Frequency of meetings

Meetings will be held approximately every five weeks at 07:30 – 8:30 on Wednesdays to enable QuORU clinical leads to attend.

Meeting organisation

• Agenda items should be put forward at least one week prior to each QuORU Board meeting
• Papers and slides will be circulated to all members of the group at least two working days before each meeting
• Minutes and action points will be circulated within one week of the meeting to all members of the group
• Members should inform the Chair, Deputy Chair and Director Informatics and Patient Administration if they are unable to attend for any reason and provide a brief outline of any key issues for discussion at least two working days before the meeting
  

Reporting

The QuORU Board will receive verbal and/or written progress updates from the QuORU Clinical Leads and Informatics at each meeting.

Any performance-related or other key issues will be reported by exception to the CQMG by the Head of Quality Development, Director Informatics and Patient Administration or the Head of Medical Director’s Services.  

The QuORU Board will submit progress reports bi-annually to the CEAG with additional reports provided where any significant matters arise between meetings.

In addition, specialty-level progress will be communicated to clinical staff bi-annually.

Review arrangements

The terms of reference alongside the frequency/timing of meetings will be reviewed annually to ensure they remain fit for purpose.

The terms of reference were revised in August 2011, and approved at the QuORU meeting on Wednesday 10 August 2011. The next review will take place in August 2012.