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PURPOSE Improving primary care quality is a national priority, but little is known about the extent to which small to medium-size practices use quality improvement (QI) strategies to improve care. We examined variations in use of QI strategies among 1,181 small to medium-size primary care practices engaged in a national initiative spanning 12 US states to improve quality of care for heart health and assessed factors associated with those variations. METHODSIn this cross-sectional study, practice characteristics were assessed by surveying practice leaders. Practice use of QI strategies was measured by the validated Change Process Capability Questionnaire (CPCQ) Strategies Scale (scores range from -28 to 28, with higher scores indicating more use of QI strategies). Multivariable linear regression was used to examine the association between practice characteristics and the CPCQ strategies score. RESULTSThe mean CPCQ strategies score was 9.1 (SD = 12.2). Practices that participated in accountable care organizations and those that had someone in the practice to configure clinical quality reports from electronic health records (EHRs), had produced quality reports, or had discussed clinical quality data during meetings had higher CPCQ strategies scores. Health system-owned practices and those experiencing major disruptive changes, such as implementing a new EHR system or clinician turnover, had lower CPCQ strategies scores.CONCLUSION There is substantial variation in the use of QI strategies among small to medium-size primary care practices across 12 US states. Findings suggest that practices may need external support to strengthen their ability to do QI and to be prepared for new payment and delivery models. INTRODUCTIONH ealth care delivery is evolving in the United States, with increasing emphasis on insurance payments based on improving quality instead of merely delivering health care services. 1 This emphasis has brought a greater focus on population health management, quality measurement, and health care outcomes. Primary care practices use quality improvement (QI) strategies, such as monitoring and assessing outcomes, having skilled QI teams, and using system redesigns to improve patient and population health outcomes, system performance, and clinician experience, and to reduce health care costs.2-6 Implementing QI strategies can help practices deliver appropriate health services efficiently and improve health outcomes, [7][8][9][10] yet much of what we know about the use of QI strategies in medical care comes from surveys conducted mostly in hospitals and health systems. [11][12][13][14][15][16][17] Little is known about the use of QI strategies in small to medium-size primary care practices, where more than one-half of Americans receive care for their chronic conditions. 18 Earlier studies have lacked generalizability because of small sample sizes and limited contextual diversity. Better understanding of the prevalence and reasons for variation in use of QI strategies among smaller practices is needed...