qual·i·ty assurance (kw l  -t )n. A system for evaluating performance, as in the delivery of services or the quality of products provided to consumers, customers, or patients. |
quality assurance.
See quality management.
quality assurance
in the health care field, a pledge to the public by those within the various health disciplines that they will work toward the goal of an optimal achievable degree of excellence in the services rendered to every patient. Since the 1960s there has been an increasing emphasis on the individual citizen's right to health and the obligation of individual members of the health care team to hold themselves accountable to the public for the caliber of care they provide.
A quality assurance program takes into account the need to define that which is to be measured. Quality assurance implies a clear understanding of what is meant by “quality” and a valid and reliable method for evaluating the care that is provided. (See also evaluation.) In the health care field, evaluation of practice operates within the parameters of outcome, cost-benefit, and access to the health care delivery system. Outcome represents a measurable change in the health/illness status of the patient that is the end result of the care the patient received. Cost-benefit refers to the expenditure of money, time, and effort in providing health care and the relationship this cost bears to the actual benefits to the recipient. Access to health care refers to its availability or the ease with which one can obtain the kind of health care one needs.
Implementation of a quality assurance program involves the development of criteria based on acceptable standards of care and norms of professional behavior. The norms are established by members of the profession who are expert in the care of specific patient populations. The health/illness criteria should be patient-centered: they must express in positive terms what it is a patient should be able to do as a direct result of the care received. For example, in the area of nursing care, an elderly patient with “night incontinence” should remain dry throughout the night as a result of an individualized bladder training program, or a patient who is bedridden should be able to maintain joint motion as a result of a daily range-of-motion exercise program.
The development of outcome criteria is an essential first step in a quality assurance program. The criteria are then used as the “yardstick” against which actual practice and its results can be evaluated. Evaluation is conducted by a review committee, preferably one composed of practitioners in the area of health care being evaluated. A retrospective review measures actual documented outcomes against desirable and valued outcomes. Data for documentation of actual outcomes are obtained from the medical records of a specific patient population after the patients have been discharged. A concurrent review evaluates patient care while it is in progress. Documentation of the caliber of care being delivered is obtained through review of the patient's chart, interview, observation, and examination of the patient. The advantage of concurrent review is that it can provide opportunities for improvement of patient care while it is in progress.
The ultimate goal of both retrospective and concurrent review is improvement of patient care. If, at the time of review, a deficiency is detected in either the health care process or the health/illness status of the patient, an effort is made to correct the difference between “what should be” and “what actually is.” It is this promise to evaluate thoroughly and to employ the results of the evaluation for continuous improvement of patient care that is the essence of quality assurance.
A quality assurance program takes into account the need to define that which is to be measured. Quality assurance implies a clear understanding of what is meant by “quality” and a valid and reliable method for evaluating the care that is provided. (See also evaluation.) In the health care field, evaluation of practice operates within the parameters of outcome, cost-benefit, and access to the health care delivery system. Outcome represents a measurable change in the health/illness status of the patient that is the end result of the care the patient received. Cost-benefit refers to the expenditure of money, time, and effort in providing health care and the relationship this cost bears to the actual benefits to the recipient. Access to health care refers to its availability or the ease with which one can obtain the kind of health care one needs.
Implementation of a quality assurance program involves the development of criteria based on acceptable standards of care and norms of professional behavior. The norms are established by members of the profession who are expert in the care of specific patient populations. The health/illness criteria should be patient-centered: they must express in positive terms what it is a patient should be able to do as a direct result of the care received. For example, in the area of nursing care, an elderly patient with “night incontinence” should remain dry throughout the night as a result of an individualized bladder training program, or a patient who is bedridden should be able to maintain joint motion as a result of a daily range-of-motion exercise program.
The development of outcome criteria is an essential first step in a quality assurance program. The criteria are then used as the “yardstick” against which actual practice and its results can be evaluated. Evaluation is conducted by a review committee, preferably one composed of practitioners in the area of health care being evaluated. A retrospective review measures actual documented outcomes against desirable and valued outcomes. Data for documentation of actual outcomes are obtained from the medical records of a specific patient population after the patients have been discharged. A concurrent review evaluates patient care while it is in progress. Documentation of the caliber of care being delivered is obtained through review of the patient's chart, interview, observation, and examination of the patient. The advantage of concurrent review is that it can provide opportunities for improvement of patient care while it is in progress.
The ultimate goal of both retrospective and concurrent review is improvement of patient care. If, at the time of review, a deficiency is detected in either the health care process or the health/illness status of the patient, an effort is made to correct the difference between “what should be” and “what actually is.” It is this promise to evaluate thoroughly and to employ the results of the evaluation for continuous improvement of patient care that is the essence of quality assurance.
quality,
n in reference to the voice, the acoustic characteristics of vowels resulting from their overtone structure or the relative intensities of their frequency component.
quality assessment,
n 1. the measurement of quality; generally includes the selection of an aspect of dental care or the dental care system to be evaluated; establishing criteria and standards for quality dental care and comparing treatment with these criteria and standards.
n 2. the measure of the quality of care provided in a particular setting.
n 2. the measure of the quality of care provided in a particular setting.
quality assurance,
n 1. procedures for checking the quality of dental care provided by participating dental professionals and correcting any irregularities. Also called
quality control or
quality evaluation. n 2. the assessment or measurement of the quality of care and the implementation of any necessary changes to maintain or improve the quality of care rendered.
quality control or
quality evaluation. n 2. the assessment or measurement of the quality of care and the implementation of any necessary changes to maintain or improve the quality of care rendered.
quality assurance system,
n a formally organized sequence of activities in dentistry that combines assessment of the existing situation, judgments about necessary changes, development of plans to effect such changes, implementation of these plans, and reassessment to determine that the desired changes have taken place.
quality of life,
n a measure of the optimal energy or force that endows a person with the power to cope successfully with the full range of challenges encountered in the real world.
quality of radiation,
n See radiation quality.
quality review committee,
n a committee established by a professional organization or institution to assess and ensure quality. Unlike a peer review committee, it can function on its own initiative with regard to a broad range of topics.
quality
purity of contents, care in presentation and finish of a product.
quality assurance
planned and systematic action necessary to provide adequate confidence that a product or service will satisfy given requirements for quality. Quality is built into the product or service, rather than 'inspected in'.
quality control
the use of operational techniques, particularly end-product testing or inspection to ensure that a product or service satisfies its stated or implied role.
quality of life
generally regarded as the balance between pleasant and unpleasant factors and experiences as they apply to an animal's physical and mental state. A term used in discussions of euthanasia or intensive treatment.
protein quality
relates to the content and balance of amino acids in the protein. A good quality protein contains the amino acids in the correct proportions required by the specific animal species.
radiographic quality
depends on the correct positioning of the subject part, good contrast, clear image due to good detail and absence of artifacts.
quality assurance
Managed care The constellation of activities and programs intended to assure a high quality of care in a defined medical setting; the assessment of delivery of healthcare by managed care plans; the NCQA is a key agency in
evaluating performance of managed care plans Mechanisms of QA Peer review, utilization review–identify and remedy deficiencies in quality. See National Committee for Quality Assurance, Peer review organization. Cf Quality control.
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