General Endocrinology

MON-874 - Innovating A Longitudinal, Experiential Quality Improvement Curriculum in the Endocrinology Fellowship Training

Monday, June 15, 2026

9:00 AM - 2:00 PM CT

Location: ENDOExpo; Poster Floor

Abstract Poster Presenter(s)

Tasma Harindhanavudhi, MD (she/her/hers)

MD
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN, United States

Senior Author/Primary Investigator(s)

Tasma Harindhanavudhi, MD (she/her/hers)

MD
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN, United States

Co-Author(s)

MK

Megan Kristan, MD

Assistant Professor
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
JK

Jacob Kohlenberg, MD

Assistant Professor
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
DZ

Douglas A. Zech, n/a

Principal Quality Improvement Consultant
Fairview Health System
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
AF

Angela Frankosky, MBA, CSSBB

Fairview Health System
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

Senior Author/Primary Investigator(s)

LB

Lynn A. Burmeister, MD

Professor
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

Co-Author(s)

LB

Lynn A. Burmeister, MD

Professor
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

Disclosure(s):

Tasma Harindhanavudhi, MD: No financial relationships to disclose

Background:
Continuous quality improvement (QI) and patient safety initiatives are essential to optimizing healthcare outcomes. Endocrinologists should be equipped with skills in QI to identify care gaps, implement system-level interventions, and evaluate outcomes. Despite this need, formal QI training in Endocrinology Fellowships is often limited, resulting in variable trainee engagement and limited skill acquisition.

Objective:
We developed a year-long mandatory, QI curriculum for Endocrinology fellows that includes both didactic and experiential learning and is aligned with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement framework. Fellows participated in structured didactic sessions covering foundational QI concepts, A3 methodology, stakeholder engagement, patient needs, root cause analysis, process mapping, Plan–Do–Study–Act cycles, and data interpretation. Additionally, fellows worked in paired teams under the guidance of faculty mentors to design and implement their projects.

Outcomes:
Since implementation in July 2023, fellows have led QI initiatives focusing on the outpatient clinic setting at the University of Minnesota’s Medical center and Minneapolis VA Medical Center. The projects targeted diverse issues including diabetic ketoacidosis management, traumatic brain injury screening, adrenal action plan for adrenal insufficiency, glucagon prescribing for people with type 1 diabetes, and screening of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease in people with type 2 diabetes.

Conclusions:
Embedding a longitudinal, didactic, experiential QI curriculum into endocrinology fellowship training is feasible, sustainable, and engaging for trainees. This curriculum model fosters the development of systems-based practice skills and prepares fellows to be leaders in healthcare improvement. Our experience provides a model for broader adoption of longitudinal QI curriculum within subspecialty training programs.

*Unless otherwise noted, all abstracts presented at ENDO must not be released to the press or the public until the date and time of presentation. For oral presentations, the abstracts are embargoed until the session begins. The Endocrine Society reserves the right to lift the embargo on specific abstracts that are selected for promotion prior to or during ENDO.*