Table 3.

Early elements of QIPS committee infrastructure

Elements	Descriptions
Terms of reference	Committing to vision and mission statements that resonate with the broader team, as well as to short- and long-term objectives that appeal to both the leadership and front-line workers, is crucial to ensuring buy-in. Table 5 (in supplementary materials) provides a template for terms of reference for a QIPS committee, focusing on the roles/responsibilities as well as the rules and medico-legal framework involved [23]
Pillars or focus of work	It is important to focus the work that the QIPS committee will perform to address local quality gaps while considering stakeholders’ expertise and interests. This can range from broader themes (e.g., focusing on vulnerable populations) to more specific ideas (e.g., improving linkages with addiction services for patients with substance use disorder). A frequency-impact matrix can be used to help prioritize issues that are of most relevance to the team and patients [24]
Operational budget	When QIPS initiatives align with operational gaps and strategic priorities, and when departmental leadership is engaged, funds to support projects can be more easily found or supported through operational budgets (whether ED or hospital based). Additional and dedicated funds can be used to support time for contributors, costs for project evaluation (e.g., data analyst time), costs for dissemination (e.g., publication fees), or expenditures for activities that support the work of the committee members (e.g., a celebration event)

N.B.: QIPS Quality Improvement and Patient Safety