Open AccessThe role and function of quality assurance officers in Ontario hospitals
Author(s) -
Rondeau Kent V.,
Birdi Nareshwar
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
the quality assurance journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1099-1786
pISSN - 1087-8378
DOI - 10.1002/qaj.335
Subject(s) - quality assurance , accreditation , certification , quality management , quality (philosophy) , quality audit , total quality management , quality management system , quality policy , business , operations management , nursing , medicine , medical education , audit , management , engineering , management system , accounting , philosophy , external quality assessment , epistemology , lean manufacturing , economics
This article examines the role and job function of quality assurance officers in hospitals in Ontario, Canada. Results from a mail questionnaire suggest that hospital quality assurance professionals in our sample are much more likely to be female, at mid‐career, and to have advanced graduate degrees, although most lack professional certification and formal training in quality management. Although the job duties of hospital quality assurance professionals are broad and varied, many report being engaged in traditional quality assurance managerial activities including hospital accreditation efforts, risk management assessment, and patient satisfaction measurement. Coordinating quality assurance activities, performance reporting, and leading the Total Quality Management (TQM)/Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) initiative remain central functions associated with their work efforts. Nevertheless, limited formal training in the principles and methods of quality management and improvement may be placing significant constraints on their effectiveness. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.