Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP)

The Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP) is a toolkit that can help healthcare teams improve
quality and safety by combining improved teamwork, clinical best practices, and the science of safety. The link
below takes you to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality page about the CUSP method. It includes
PPT's, video's, tools….
https://www.ahrq.gov/hai/cusp/modules/download/index.html
https://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/education/curriculum-tools/cusptoolkit/modules/download/index.html (Links
to an external site.)
Consider a safety / quality issue that is either current on your unit or a process improvement initiative that was
implemented to improve patient outcomes.
Once you have reviewed the CUSP videos - Apply the CUSP process / tools to your identified issue and
describe how each step was or will be implemented to improve the quality/ safety outcomes. You should
address the five steps of the process below in your response by providing details i.e. who makes up the team,
which executives should be engaged ….. Highlight or bold each of the steps below in your post so it is clear to
the reader that you have addressed each.
• Assemble the team
• Engage Executives
• Understand the science of safety
• Identify defects through sensemaking
• Implement teamwork and communication