Chapter 5: Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement

Introduction

I. Quality Assurance, Quality Control, and Quality Improvement Defined

a. How is quality defined?

b. What is quality assurance (QA)?

c. What is quality improvement (QI)?

d. What is quality control?

e. Which approach should our clinic adopt?

II. Accreditation

a. What is accreditation and what role do the Joint Commission and AAAHC play?

b. Is accreditation appropriate for our clinic?

III. QA/I in the Dental Clinic

a. How do we apply QA/I concepts in our clinic?

b. Why and how should we assess the quality of the clinic's administrative functions?

c. Do we need patient satisfaction surveys?

d. Do we need staff satisfaction surveys?

e. How can we measure clinical quality?

f. What is peer review and how is it done?

g. How can we tell if the clinic is meeting the community's needs and our mission?

h. How should productivity be measured, and how is it part of a QA/I program?

i. What are some practical applications of these concepts?

j. What quality control activities should the clinic perform?

k. What should we do with the results of our QA/I activities?

IV. An in-depth look at QA/I in healthcare

a. What is the quality improvement process (PDCA cycle)?

b. How should we collect data for the QI process?

c. How do we analyze the data we collect?

d. What are some specific ways to share results of QA/I activities?

e. How do we develop, administer, and analyze patient satisfaction surveys?

Appendices