Writing Manuscripts About Quality Improvement: SQUIRE 2.0 and Beyond

Significant work is being done in healthcare settings to improve the quality and safety of patient care, and this work needs to be disseminated broadly for others to use it in their own settings. The successful adoption of interventions and new approaches to improve the quality of healthcare depends on complete and accurate reporting of quality improvement (QI) studies. Good reporting of these studies increases the likelihood that readers will be able to use the interventions and approaches in their own settings and researchers will be able to replicate the studies. When preparing a manuscript on a QI study, you should use the Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence (SQUIRE) guidelines, which were developed for this purpose. Following these guidelines will not only lead to better reporting of a QI study, but will increase the likelihood that your paper will be accepted for publication. Many journals now require manuscripts follow the SQUIRE guidelines, but even if not required by a journal, you should follow these guidelines to ensure you’re submitting a high-quality manuscript.