Quality management
Quality Management
Quality management includes all the activities that organizations use to direct, control or coordinate quality. In Healthcare it involves the process of:
- defining what constitutes best healthcare
- investing for its achievement
- continuously measuring progress with the purpose of improving processes and outcomes
There are different models of Quality Management in healthcare including:
- Licensing
- Certification
- Accreditation
- Continuous quality improvement
Most of the time countries implement a combination of these models. There is no single model can effectively improve healthcare quality, a combination of models is usually important.
Licensing is a process by which a governmental authority grants permission to an individual practitioner or health care organization to operate or engage in an occupation or profession. Licensure reflects fulfillment of minimum requirements. No individual or organization can be engaged in service provision without a license.
Certification is a process by which an authorized body, either a government or non-governmental organization, evaluates and recognizes either an individual or an organization as meeting pre-determined requirements. Certification reflects the capability of an individual to provide services additional to minimum requirements. Certification provides added credential to an entity's qualification. Example of certification include; certification of a General Practitioner to perform caesarian section in Ethiopia and certification of a general hospital to provide some specialized services
Accreditation is s a formal process by which a recognized body usually a non-governmental organization, assesses and recognizes that a health care organization meets applicable pre-determined and published standards. Participation is voluntary but advantageous and assessment involves self assessment and external assessment by a team of peers.