What does the PDCA cycle stand for?

The PDCA cycle, which stands for Plan, Do, Check, and Act, is a foundational concept in process improvement and quality management. This iterative model is used to facilitate continuous improvement in various settings, including healthcare.

In the "Plan" stage, teams identify an opportunity for improvement and plan how to implement changes. During the "Do" phase, the planned changes are executed on a small scale to test their effectiveness. The "Check" step involves evaluating the results of the implementation to see if the expected outcomes were achieved. Finally, in the "Act" phase, decisions are made based on what was learned in the previous steps—whether to adopt the change, abandon it, or run through the cycle again with modifications.

This structured approach helps teams systematically address problems and foster a culture of ongoing improvement. The emphasis on checking outcomes ensures that decisions are data-driven and that any further steps taken are informed by evidence, aligning closely with best practices in quality management.