In quality improvement, what is the purpose of the 'Study' phase in the PDSA cycle?

• A. Plan the next change
• B. Implement at scale
• C. Analyze data to determine effectiveness
• D. Document results

Answer: (C)

The key idea here is learning from the data. In the Study phase of a PDSA cycle, the focus is on analyzing what happened when the change was tested to see whether it produced the intended improvement. You review measurements collected during the test, look for signals that the change worked beyond random variation, and interpret how well the outcomes match expectations. This analysis helps determine whether the change should be adopted, adapted, or abandoned, and guides what to test next in the plan phase or how to proceed in the act phase.

Planning the next change belongs to deciding what to test next and is more aligned with the planning and acting steps. Implementing at scale occurs after you’ve established effectiveness and decide to spread the change, which goes beyond the study step. Documenting results happens as part of the process but isn’t the primary purpose of studying—the main aim is to interpret the data to decide the next course of action.