Quality Improvement and Behavior Analysis: A Dynamic Duo
Steal quality-improvement tools—they already speak ABA.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Powell et al. (2020) wrote a how-to guide, not an experiment.
They mapped everyday quality-improvement tools onto the seven dimensions of ABA.
Think PDSA cycles, control charts, and fish-bone diagrams paired with applied, behavioral, analytic, technological, conceptually systematic, effective, and generative.
What they found
The fit is seamless.
Each QI step already echoes a core ABA principle, so you can borrow the tools without selling your soul.
How this fits with other research
Johnson et al. (1994) first showed BCBAs how Deming’s Plan-Do-Check-Act loop could guide consultation. Powell simply widened the lens to the full seven-dimension checklist.
Lyons (1995) narrowed the focus to statistical-process-control charts. Powell bundles those charts with the rest of the QI toolbox, giving you a bigger kit.
Lerman (2024) picks up the baton by showing how to hand that kit to teachers, nurses, and cops—turning the same QI-plus-ABA marriage into a dissemination blueprint.
Why it matters
You already take data; QI just makes the data talk faster. Run a PDSA cycle next time you tweak a token system, post a control chart in the staff room, and watch decisions flip from hunches to trends. You keep your behavioral roots while looking like the quality pro every hospital, school, and insurer already trusts.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Behavior analysis as a discipline prides itself on the systematic use of consistent, measured observations to drive specific and clearly defined changes in behavior. The need for diversification of practice is becoming increasingly focused on the topic. We posit that one such area of growth for behavior analysts could be quality improvement (QI). The field of health care QI utilizes specific tools and techniques to drive advancement in the quality and delivery of health care. There are deep corollaries between the methodologies used in QI and behavior analysis. We describe these corollaries through explanation and examples across the 7 dimensions of behavior analysis. We conclude that strong similarities exist between these fields, providing potential pathways for behavior analysts to expand our scope while maintaining the field’s core values.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2020 · doi:10.1007/s40617-019-00396-9