Quality control

a process that is used to ensure a certain level of quality in a product or service. It might include whatever actions a business deems necessary to provide for the control and verification of certain characteristics of a product or service. Most often, it involves thoroughly examining and testing the quality of products or the results of services. The basic goal of this process is to ensure that the products or services that are provided meet specific requirements and characteristics, such as being dependable, satisfactory.

The goal of the quality control team

is to identify products or services that do not meet a company's specified standards of quality. If a problem is identified, the job of a quality control team or professional might involve stopping production or service until the problem has been corrected. Depending on the particular service or product as well as the type of problem identified, production or services might not cease entirely.

Purpose of control

To detect deviations from desirable standards

To take preventive and corrective actions in order to ensure that the organization's mission and objective are accomplished as effectively and efficiently as possible.

To guide behavior and set in to motion plans for future

TQM (Total Quality Management

Name given to quality control

Features of TQM:

•Quality Circles– meetings of relevant workers
to discuss issues relating to maintenance and improvement of quality in the business – may also double as a form of empowerment and motivation.

•Statistical Process Control– statistical data generated to inform the evaluation of processes within the business.

•Zero defects– systems in place to ensure that no product leaves the business with a defect – important in building supplier relationships, image, reputation.

THE PRINCIPLES OF TQM

customer focus

process focus

prevention focus

workforce mobilization focus

fact-based decision making focus

continuous feedback focus

Basic Elements of Service Quality

Organization

Customer

Communication

Front-Line People

Leadership

Quality of Care

!The nurses believe themselves to be providing high quality of nursing care to their patients

! Directors of nursing and nursing management are viewed as responsible for developing the environment where such care can flourish

components of quality healthcare

a high level of professionalism,

• efficient use of resources (human, financial and material),

• the lowest possible risk for the patient,

• patient satisfaction, and

• a (positive) influence on his state of health

Designing a QC Program

Establish written policies and procedures

•Corrective action procedures

Train all staff

Design forms

Assure complete documentation and review

Indicator Selection Criteria

Specificity to nursing

Ability to be tracked

Widely regarded as having strong link to nursing quality

Subset of indicators identified in previous work

Patient-Focused Outcome

Process of Care

Structure of Care

Quality management

is a method for ensuring that all the activities necessary to design, develop and implement a product or service are effective and efficient with respect to the system and its performance

Quality Tools You Can Use:

lBrainstorming

lInterviews

lObservation

lRewards

lTeamwork

lQuestionnaires

lCharts/graphs

Population-based Quality Improvement

In today’s health care environment, organizations are able to track their aggregate performance in caring for select populations of patients against evidence-based standards of care.

Quality compass:

•Functional status

•Clinical outcomes

•Cost and utilization

•Patient satisfaction