NEWS

Pediatric Quality Improvement: ACHIA announces QI topics for 2026-2023!

by Cason Benton, MD, FAAP, Director, Alabama Child Health Improvement Alliance (ACHIA)

Every five years, the Alabama Child Health Improvement Alliance selects pediatric clinical topics for which we use quality improvement (QI) in an outpatient setting to attain measurable improvements in child health outcomes. ACHIA identifies these topics by polling Alabama clinicians, ACHIA steering committee members, and state organizations invested in children’s well-being. We take into consideration whether there are emerging partners for Alabama clinicians, such as the Children’s of Alabama PATHs program, which has been a game-changer in developing clinician skills to navigate pediatric mental health. We also determine whether or not there is evidence that QI leads to actual improvements for the area we are considering.

After a year of planning, ACHIA is excited to share the QI topics for 2026-2030. In no particular order, the topics are:

• Firearm safety counseling
• Diagnosing autism and closing referral gaps
• Teen mental wellness
• Early vaccine completion by 2 years of age
• Screening for sexually transmitted illnesses

ACHIA is grateful to all who participated in the selection process. Stay tuned for more information!

This article first appeared in the Fourth Quarter 2024 Edition of the Alabama Pediatrician Newsletter.