Introduction to Quality Assurance - Essay Example

(p. 11) Now, this marked its main difference with quality assessment: While assessment monitors and evaluate individual hospital processes during the analytic phase only, QA goes far beyond that as it continuously reviews hospital policies and procedures in order to identify problems and areas of improvement. Early emphasis on quality control was directed to the inspection and acceptance of past efforts but in contrast, current attention to continuous quality improvement looks to the advancement of future performance.

Today, as quality assurance has matured, there has been a shift to a more consumer-oriented, more positive approach to health care management. (McClatchey, p. 10) It has been the central focus of some of the most successful efforts at management improvement in recent years. There is no question that quality assurance (QA) is important in the future our institution both as a health care provider and as commercial enterprise. And this is not without reason. I would like, therefore, to outline the benefits that will justify the cost of our institutions QA that some of you might deem unnecessary.

I classify these benefits into three: client satisfaction, cost cutting and our responsibility as health care providers including their impacts in our long-term success. The main issue in health care is to treat a patient who enters the health system after consultation with his general practitioner or a specialist. There are numerous institutions out there that are ready to provide services to patients. The ensuing episode of care is therefore related to the treatment as well as the quality of service that is satisfactory to the client.

Abraham Maslow described an ascending hierarchy of human needs, which each individual strives to achieve in his personal and work environments. These are physiologic or survival needs; safety or security needs; social