Quality assurance (QA) can be defined as all activities contributing to defining, assessing, and improving the quality of health care, such as developing and communicating standards, measuring the level of compliance with standards, and applying quality management methods to continuously improve quality. Many health organizations have started implementing QA, but they now face the issue of how to institutionalize QA. Institutionalization is an on-going process in which a set of activities, structures, and values become an integral and sustainable part of an organization. Institutionalized QA means that QA activities are formally and functionally incorporated into the structure of the organization, consistently implemented, and supported by a culture of quality. QAP has developed a model to reflect current knowledge and understanding about what is necessary to institutionalize QA. The core of the model is improved quality care. This result is achieved or supported by three main activities: defining quality, measuring quality, and improving quality. These activities will have the most powerful impact and success in achieving quality care over time when accompanied by the essential elements of:
* Support Functions: capacity building, communication, and rewarding good work to develop and maintain interest in and skills for implementing quality assurance
* Structure: defining and assigning responsibility for oversight and coordination of roles and tasks in QA and support functions
* Internal Enabling Environment: written policies that support quality, leadership, core values and adequate allocation of resources to QA that provide the environment in which QA can be initiated sustained over time
Learning Objectives: N/A
Keywords: Quality, Quality Assurance
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.