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PDSA

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PDSA (Plan, Do, Study, Act) Cycles are structured, four-step cycles used to test changes. Each cycle builds on the next as you learn what does and doesn’t work.

What is it?

PDSA (Plan, Do, Study, Act) Cycles allow you to learn quickly and make informed decisions about whether to adopt, adapt or abandon a change idea.

They are made up of the following steps:

  • Plan: This is where you define what you are testing, the purpose of the test, how you’ll measure the impact and the tasks required to set up the test
  • Do: This is where you carry out the test of change according to the plan, recording exactly what happened
  • Study: This is where you analyse the results, comparing the data against the predictions made in the plan section
  • Act: This is where you make a decision about the next course of action, depending on what you learned
The image shows a circular arrow diagram representing the Plan Do Study Act PDSA cycle, a method used to test and refine changes in a structured way. The diagram forms a continuous loop made up of four connected arrow segments arranged in a circle. Each segment contains one stage of the cycle: Plan, Do, Study and Act. The arrows connect together in a clockwise direction, showing that the process is iterative and ongoing: Plan, Do, Study, Act, Plan.
Why use this tool?

PDSA Cycles help you:

  • test ideas before committing significant time or resources
  • learn quickly from successes and failures
  • reduce the risk of unintended consequences
  • build confidence that a change works before implementing it more widely
  • adapt changes based on real-world learning
Where does this tool fit in the improvement journey?
Testing changes icon
Implement icon
Spread icon

 

This tool is relevant at these stages of the quality improvement journey.

Leadership and teams icon
Project management and communications
Measurement icon

 

It is also relevant to the three themes that support your journey.

The quality improvement journey
How to use it

1.      Define the scale and scope of the first PDSA cycle.

Keep the scale small at the start e.g. one person, one shift, one day. It’s likely your first cycle will focus on the feasibility or practicalities of your change idea.

2.      Engage with the right people.

Involve people who know the processes and will be affected by the change, assign roles and plan how you’ll maintain communication.

3.      Use a template to keep a record of your PDSA Cycles.

(A template and example can be downloaded below).

This helps you compare your expectations with actual results during the Study phase. The template should be populated as you go, ensuring sufficient time is spent planning. Before running the test, make a prediction about what you expect to happen and why.  Detail what happened when you ran the test, what you learned and what you will do next (adopt, adapt, abandon).

4.      Keep testing.

Most change ideas require more than one PDSA Cycle. Keep testing until you’re confident that the change idea works consistently. As confidence grows, gradually increase the scale of the test e.g. if testing goes well with one person, you may test with more team members.

Resources to download