In PDSA cycles, what is the primary purpose of planning the data collection?

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The main idea is to define the change you want to test and plan how you’ll measure its impact so you can evaluate whether it leads to improvement. In the Plan step, you specify the specific change to test, set the target outcome, and lay out a data collection plan—what will be measured, how it will be measured, how often data will be collected, who will record it, and what counts as baseline or success. This upfront planning ensures that the data gathered will directly address whether the change works, rather than gathering random information. By tying the measurement plan to the stated aim, you create a clear path to determine if the change produced improvement, and you can compare results across cycles to decide whether to adopt, adjust, or abandon the change. Data collection is part of the plan, not something done after the fact, so the evaluation in the Study phase has meaningful, relevant information to analyze. If the data plan is incomplete or misaligned, you risk missing signals of improvement or misinterpreting outcomes.