How to write a QI aim statement: template and healthcare example

A quality improvement (QI) aim statement describes what you want to improve, for whom, where, by how much and by when. To write one, define the outcome, check the starting point, agree a measurable target and deadline, and test the wording with the people affected by the project.

This is part of the planning stage in our guide to running a successful QI project. Use the template and illustrative healthcare examples below to turn your chosen project into a clear, shared aim.

What is a QI aim statement?

An aim statement is a short description of the improvement a project intends to achieve. It gives the team a reference point for deciding what to test and what to measure.

In the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s guidance on setting aims, the aim answers “What are we trying to accomplish?” IHI recommends specifying the improvement, population, setting, amount and timeframe, involving the people who will benefit, and grounding numerical goals in the proposed changes and available resources.

Keep your aim separate from the tasks needed to deliver it. “Create a new clinic checklist” is a task. “Reduce the time patients wait before consultation” describes the improvement you want. A checklist might be one change to test, but completing it would not, by itself, demonstrate that waiting times improved.

A simple QI aim statement template

Use this sentence as a starting point:

By [date], we will [increase/reduce/improve] [measure] from [baseline] to [target] for [population] in [setting].

Add a short explanation of why the improvement matters if it helps the reader. Keep the detailed measurement definitions, responsibilities and risks in the project brief or measurement plan.

Illustrative example: “By 31 March 2027, we will reduce the median time from arrival to consultation from 40 to 30 minutes for adults attending the Tuesday morning general outpatient clinic.”

The figures and dates in this article are teaching examples, not reported results or recommended targets. Choose your own baseline, target and deadline using local evidence.

How to write an aim statement: five steps

1. Name the improvement that matters

Start with the problem selected by your team. Describe the difference you want patients, carers or staff to experience. Avoid broad phrases such as “improve quality” unless you explain what will change.

For the outpatient project, the intended improvement is a shorter arrival-to-consultation wait. It is not simply to introduce a booking system, run meetings or train staff. Those are possible activities whose value needs to be assessed against the aim.

2. Define the population and setting

Identify who is included and where the work will begin. “All patients” may be too broad if the team only controls one clinic session. State the initial boundary clearly, and record any exclusions in the project brief.

Ask whether the proposed improvement reflects the needs of different patient groups. For example, an overall waiting-time figure may hide longer waits for people who need interpreting support. Discuss how you will notice and address such differences rather than assuming the average experience represents everyone.

3. Establish the baseline and choose the measure

Check how the process performs now. Agree what is being counted or timed, the period covered and whether the data is sufficiently reliable to support the aim. If you use a percentage, define both the numerator and denominator. If you use waiting time, agree the start and end points.

In our example, “waiting time” means the interval from recorded patient arrival to the start of consultation. The team uses the median because that is the summary statistic it has chosen for this project. It should use the same definition when assessing progress.

4. Agree a target and a date

Discuss what improvement would be worthwhile and what would make it possible. Consider the baseline, the causes you understand, the changes you might test, available capacity and relevant evidence from similar work.

Make the deadline explicit. “By 31 March 2027” is clearer than “within six months” when the statement is read later. Record why you chose the target so future reviewers can understand the decision. Avoid picking a round number simply because it sounds ambitious.

5. Review the wording with the team and people affected

Read the statement aloud with staff who deliver the process, patient or carer representatives, and the person supporting the project. Can everyone explain what success would look like? Can they identify what is outside scope?

Agree where the current aim will be recorded and who will maintain it. A concise statement should be easy to find in project reviews, alongside the evidence of progress.

Healthcare aim statement example: from vague to measurable

Following the project-selection example in the previous article, an outpatient team has chosen to investigate arrival-to-consultation delays. Here is how its wording could develop:

• Too vague: “Improve outpatient waiting times.” The population, measurement, target and deadline are unclear.
• Task-focused: “Introduce a clinic-start checklist by March.” This describes an action, but not its intended benefit.
• Specific improvement aim: “By 31 March 2027, reduce the median time from arrival to consultation from 40 to 30 minutes for adults attending the Tuesday morning general outpatient clinic.”

Before adopting the final version, the team would verify the hypothetical 40-minute baseline and explain why a 30-minute target is appropriate. It would also agree how to assess performance over time; one short clinic session would not establish a sustained improvement.

Alongside the aim, the team could monitor staff overtime, consultation duration and patient feedback to check for unwanted consequences. These checks belong in the measurement plan and need not all be squeezed into the aim sentence.

Does a QI aim need to be SMART?

SMART is a useful final check: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. Use it to challenge your wording rather than simply label an aim “SMART”.

• Specific: Is the process, population and setting clear?
• Measurable: Could another person tell how progress will be assessed?
• Achievable: Is there a credible plan and enough support to pursue the target?
• Relevant: Would the improvement matter to the people affected and support the service’s priorities?
• Time-bound: Is there an explicit completion date?

An achievable aim can still be challenging. The useful question is what changes, resources and learning would be needed to reach it.

How does a project aim link to a wider organisational goal?

A broad organisational goal gives direction; a specific project aim makes one contribution measurable. Some organisations call these “global” and “specific” aims. You do not need two separate statements unless that structure helps your team.

For example, “improve timely access to outpatient care” could be the wider goal. Reducing arrival-to-consultation waiting in one clinic is a narrower contribution. It does not demonstrate that the referral-to-appointment wait has improved, so avoid claiming impact beyond the measure and scope of the project.

Common aim statement mistakes to avoid

• Choosing a solution too early: state the intended improvement and leave room to test different changes.
• Using an unsupported target: record the baseline and rationale, or identify what information is still needed.
• Mixing measurement definitions: do not compare a baseline mean with a target median, or change the population without explaining it.
• Confusing percentages: a reduction from 20% to 15% is five percentage points, or a 25% relative reduction. State the starting and target values to avoid ambiguity.
• Including too many outcomes: keep the main aim focused and record supporting measures separately.
• Quietly changing the goal: if new evidence requires a revision, record the original aim, the new wording, the reason and the agreement date.

Frequently asked questions about QI aim statements

How long should an aim statement be?

One or two sentences is usually enough. Include the improvement, population, setting, target and deadline. Put the detailed rationale, measurement rules and responsibilities in the supporting project documents.

Can I write an aim before I have baseline data?

Yes, as a provisional statement. Name the outcome, population and setting, and assign an action to establish the baseline. Clearly mark an unconfirmed target as provisional rather than presenting it as evidence-based.

Can an aim statement change during a project?

Yes. New evidence may justify changing the scope, target or timeframe. Discuss the change with the team and sponsor, preserve the previous version and document the reason. Do not simply lower the target to make the results look better.

What is the difference between an aim and a measure?

The aim describes the improvement you want to achieve. The measure defines what you will track to assess it. For example, the aim may be to reduce waiting from 40 to 30 minutes by a specified date; the measure is the consistently defined arrival-to-consultation time.

Next step: turn your aim into a measurement plan

Once the aim is agreed, decide how you will collect and review evidence. Continue with how to write a QI measurement plan. If your scope is still unclear, revisit how to choose a QI project.

Explore Simana’s project management tools to keep your project aim, responsibilities and updates together, or return to the full QI project guide.