In January the Q community were given the opportunity to vote on the high-level theme for the first Q Improvement Lab project.

The results of this survey will set the agenda for the first Lab project that will take place over the next 9-12 months.

I’m pleased to say that the results are now in!

Survey results

The most popular theme, with over 40% of the vote, was empowering people to manage their own health and care needs.

The survey was completed by a third of Q members, with responses from all UK countries. Thank you to everyone who shared their thoughts.

Empowering people is a very broad area and the survey results show it has appeal across a range of professions. The theme was chosen by:

• 60% of people who consider their primary role to be a patient leader or and carer
• 42% of people in quality improvement or managerial roles
• 28% of people in clinical roles

It was also the most popular theme for members based in England, Scotland and Wales. It was joint first in Northern Ireland, alongside the theme of co-ordinating care closer to home.

What else did you tell us?

As well as voting, members shared their ideas about why their chosen area was important and suggested specific topics for the Lab to work on.

We are now analysing the mere 9000 words that were shared in relation to the topic of empowering people, before we move onto the other themes.

We know there will be a wealth of information in the comments and look forward to sharing more information in the coming weeks.

What happens next?

In March we will be holding a small workshop with a diverse range of people, including a number of Q members.  The purpose of the workshop will be to discuss the broad theme of empowering people – bringing together the information that has been shared and what is known about the topic – and to identify areas of opportunity for the Lab to explore.

Spaces for this workshop are limited but there will be plenty of opportunities for Q members and others to participate before, during and/or after the workshop. A range of perspectives, ideas and insights will be key in making the Lab a success.

Beyond the workshop there will be a range of ways to get involved during the year. Building on the feedback we received from the Lab volunteers this summer, we are developing options for how to get involved and will share this with you soon.

If you’d like to share your thoughts about the topic or register your interest to work on the Lab you can contact us at QLab@health.org.uk.