The patient centered care (PCC) model is recommended by the Institute of Medicine for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The problem identified in this quality improvement (QI) project was that PCC practices had not been included in the training curriculum within the organization. Framed within the plan-do-study-act model of QI, the purpose of this project was to develop an educational initiative on PCC that included a curriculum plan, a pretest/posttest, a protocol, a revision of the training policy, and an implementation and evaluation plan. Drawing upon the evidence-based literature and using a team approach, a curriculum plan on PCC practices was developed which included a pretest/posttest to evaluate staff knowledge on the curriculum before and after the training. Three content experts from the committee approved the curriculum and validated the pretest/posttest items. The content validation index was 0.99 showing that each item reflected the content and objectives of the curriculum. As well, a training protocol was developed which identified the steps for provision of the curriculum to maintain consistency for all users. The training policy was revised to set expectations for all staff for the incorporation of the PCC practices into the organization. This initiative will be implemented into the organization using Kurt Lewin’s model of change to guide PCC practices. A recommendation was made to add a small section on “people’s first language” to the training to preserve patients’ dignity and respect during communication. This project contributes to social change by promoting PCC practices among healthcare workers thus limiting healthcare disparities and improving access for persons with intellectual developmental disabilities.

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