Table 3 Eligibility criteria and selected article types

Eligibility

Outcomes

QI Effectiveness or process outcomes e.g., goals achieved

QI economic outcomes e.g., savings

Clinical outcomes e.g., symptoms

Organisational outcomes e.g., development

Short-term, intermediate, long-term, and impacts

ROI concepts

Cost-effectiveness

Cost–benefit

Value

Benefits

QI outcomes/consequences

Level of analysis

Organisation

Type of literature

Empirical and non-empirical reports

Conceptual and Grey literature

Included

Large scale complexity, depth, and breadth

At least one QI method used

At least three organisational outcomes

At least two organisational departments engaged

Excluded

Articles where one department was engaged, two or less organisational outcomes were reported, and pre-prints