QA: Core Readings & Definitions

Quality Assurance-Related Definitions

Quality Assurance Related Definitions

Quality Assurance for Health Services in Pacific Island Jurisdictions

Durand AM, 2008. PIHOA QA Initiative

A brief summary of current literature, resources, opportunities and recommendations as they relate to Pacific island jurisdictions looking to build health sector QA systems

Quality and Accreditation in health Care Services, a Global Review

WHO, Geneva, 2003 (225 pgs). (WHO/EIP/OSD/2003.1)

This is the most comprehensive overview of QA and accreditation worldwide in existence. The first of this report’s three parts describes structures and activities at national and international levels around the world to promote quality in health care. The second part catalogues quality concepts and tools in local use in various countries. The third part outlines initiatives in health service accreditation and analyses the operation of functioning national programs around the world. The appendices include recommendations derived from major WHO conferences and consultations related to quality and accreditation.

http://www.who.int/hrh/documents/en/quality_accreditation.pdf

Quality Assurance of Health Care in Developing Countries

Brown LP, et. al., 1993 Quality Assurance Methodology Refinement Series, QA Project

At 33 pages, this paper provides a briefer introductory overview of QA for developing countries. Part I describes how quality assessment and improvement have been carried out in less developed countries. Part II discusses the feasibility and rationale for applying QA in the developing world. Part III proposes some definitions and dimensions of quality. Part IV reviews the definition and basic tenets of QA. Part V presents a simple framework for the QA process, and Part VI discusses the challenges of building a QA program within a health care organization.Commissioned by the Quality Assurance Project of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

http://www.qaproject.org/pubs/PDFs/DEVCONT.pdf

A Framework for Institutionalizing Quality Assurance

Silimperi D., et. al. Int Journal for Quality in Health Care 2002; Vol 14, Suppl 1: 67–73

Provides a framework and “road map” for introducing quality assurance initiatives into a health care organization. Addresses the readiness for QA within a health organization, the process of implementation through stages of developing awareness, experience on a limited scale, program expansion and consolidation. Discusses considerations for assuring sustainability. Excellent background material for deciding how best to plan, attain, and maintain a QA program.

http://intqhc.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/14/suppl_1/67.pdf

Lessons from Developing Nations on Improving Health Care

Berwick D. British Medical Journal 2004; 328; 1124-29.

A summary of barriers, keys to success and lessons learned by one of the leaders in the field of quality improvement in health care in developing countries. Berwick advocates setting bold but practical goals, emphasizing teams as the unit of intervention, and keeping measurement processes simple.

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/reprint/328/7448/1124.pdf

Quality Improvement and the Hierarchy of Needs in Low Resource Settings: Perspective of a District Health Officer

Durand AM, 2009. International Journal for Quality in Health Care 2009; doi: 10.1093/intqhc/mzp053

A discussion of the usefulness of a standards-based management approach to quality improvement for developing country health services.

http://intqhc.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/mzp053?ijkey=tIsxNSeVPspCzUa&keytype=ref