Definition of Improvement Science

Improvement science is an evolving field of study focused on the theories, methods, and practices that facilitate or hinder organizational efforts to continuously improve performance.  

Improvement science:

• Is an applied science, primarily concerned with solving practical problems.

• Is interdisciplinary drawing on clinical science, systems theory, psychology, statistics, and other fields.

• Contends that improvement comes from a combination of improvement skills and subject matter expertise.

Introduction to Improvement Science: Reading List

We’ve compiled a list of foundational reading materials regarding the field of improvement science:

• The Seven Propositions of the Science of Improvement published by Quality Management in Health Care, September 2013

  • Authors: RJ Perla, LP Provost, GJ Parry

• The Science of Improvement published by Journal of the American Medical Association, March 2008

  • Author: Berwick, DM

• The New Economics: for Industry, Government and Education, 1993

  • Author: W. Edwards Deming

• Out of the Crisis, 1986

  • Author: W. Edwards Deming

• Thinking in Systems, 2008

  • Author: Donella H. Meadows

• Creating the Corporate Future, 1981

  • Author: Russell L. Ackoff

• Ackoff's Best, 1999

  • Author: Russell L. Ackoff

• Understanding Variation - 26 years later, published by Quality Progress

  • Authors: Thomas Nolan, Rocco J. Perla and Lloyd Provost

• Analytical Studies: A framework for quality improvement design and analysis, published BMJ Quality & Safety, Provost, LP, 2011

  • Author: Lloyd P Provost

• The Run Chart: A simple analytical tool for learning from variation in healthcare processes, published BMJ Quality & Safety, Provost, LP, 2011

  • Author: Rocco J Perla, Lloyd P Provost, Sandy K Murray

• The Healthcare Data Guide, 2011

  • Authors: Lloyd P. Provost and Sandra K. Murray

• On Probability as a Basis of Action, published by The American Statistician, 1975

  • Author: W.E. Deming

• Guinnessometrics: The Economic Foundation of "Student's" t, published by Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2008

  • Author: Stephen T. Ziliak

• Economic Control of Quality of Manufactured Product, 1931

  • Author: Walter A. Shewhart

• Judgment under uncertainty: heuristics and biases, 1982

  • Authors: Daniel Kahneman, Paul Slovic, Amos Tversky

• One More Time: How do you motivate employees?, published by Harvard Business Review, 1987

  • Author: F.I. Herzberg

• Why Incentive Plans Cannot Work, Harvard Business Review, 1993

  • Author: A. Kohn

• Mind and the World-order: Outline of a Theory of Knowledge, 1929

  • Author: C. I. Lewis