Quality assurance Lec 1.pdf

Quality Management Quality Management: The act of supervising various activities and tasks within a company to ensure consistency in the products, services, and methods used to deliver them. It assists in attaining and sustaining a preferred standard of excellence within the company. • Issue: Severa...

Quality Management Quality Management: The act of supervising various activities and tasks within a company to ensure consistency in the products, services, and methods used to deliver them. It assists in attaining and sustaining a preferred standard of excellence within the company. • Issue: Several variable sources: Human & Equipment sources (equipment, image receptor, processing, viewing conditions, observer or interpreter). • Aim: To min. variables as mush as possible to achieve Hi. IQ & Lo. pt. dose. Quality Management Quality in diagnostic radiography is determined in 3 levels: 1. Expected level: level of product or service that is expected by the customer's influenced by outside factors (prior word mouth from friends or relatives). 2. Perceived level: perception of service or product. Patient's experience(such as how long they had to wait) during the procedures greatly influenced their perception of quality. 3. Actual level: uses statistical data & considers all factors that can influence the final outcome. Can compare quality of product or service. Critical Changes: In early 1980, healthcare delivered undergone into dramatic changes: 1. Advances in technology (CT, MRI, US, PET, SPECT): reduce repeat rate, increase efficiency of the department, increase customer satisfaction, reduce equipment downtime, chemical savings, and test equipment. 2. Legislation & government regulations ->MQSA (1992), SMDA (1990): this increase the responsibilities of managers & staff to proper equipment operation & procedures as well as safety & health administration. 3. Joint Commission on accreditation of Health care Organizations Accreditation Procedures (JCAHO): organizes QM, QA, & QC 4. Corporate buyouts & mergers: organizations merged, to reduce costs & competition 5. Methods of reimbursement for services rendered: means "fee for services" healthcare expenses replaced by managed care plans, or health maintenance organizations. This lowered reimbursement rate from these plans, which reduced the operational budget of many diagnostic imaging department. History QM: • Father of scientific management is "Frederick Winslow Taylor" • He separates planning stage function & execution stage. Individuals assigned specific complexity of the task. QA: Focuses on aspects of departmental operations, that directly related to improving the standard of patient care & outcomes. -In the imaging department, there are many ways to obtain data used in improving the overall efficiency of the department. Quality Control (QC) • Goal: 1. To maintain a standard of image quality that benefits the patient, physician, Medical imaging department, & institution. 2. To achieve Hi. IQ, a systematic program of record keeping, equipment selection & acceptance testing, image criteria, & continuing education should track the performance & maintenance. 3. To track the performance & maintenance of equipment, keeping a record of each piece of imaging equipment in the imaging department. Radiographic Quality Control Includes 3 levels of testing: 1. Simple testing: Simple evaluations performed by any technologist, that include tests e.g. wire mesh test for screen contact & the spinning top test for timer accuracy. 2. Non-invasive & Complex testing: Complex evaluations should be performed by a technologist, who has been trained in quality control procedures, e.g., special test tools, meters, non- invasive evaluation of radiation output (NERO) computerized multiple function unit is used. 3. Invasive testing & Complex: It involves some disassembly of the equipment & are normally performed by engineers or physicists. —This course emphasis on level I & II Quality Assurance (QA) Activities: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Customer satisfaction Employee satisfaction Radiologist QA Timeliness of service Repeat rates Suboptimal film reports Cost analysis Exam Tracking Medical Imaging audits Radiographic Quality Control: Function: Focuses on the testing & monitoring of equipment in all areas of the Medical Imaging Department. Types of QC tests on various levels:1. Accepting testing 2. Routine performance 3. Corrective actions Risk Management: • It is an important aspect in QM program: it is a sys or process for identification, analysis & evaluation of risks & selection of the most advantageous method for minimizing them. • Synonym: - Safe & loss prevention - Total loss control - Loss control management • Aim: To keep quality, patient care & safe environment for employees & visitors, while conserving healthcare institutions financial resources.