title: Quality assurance in a public health agency.
abstract: Quality assurance (QA) activities in public health programs typically are fragmented. The Division of Public Health of Maricopa County in Phoenix decided to develop a comprehensive QA program in 1981 that involved both the development of clinical protocols and the formalization of procedures for planning, executing, and following up on QA studies. A clinical protocols committee was formed to generate protocol manuals that serve as the principal criteria source for QA studies. A QA committee was also established to set guidelines for studies and to supervise their execution. Thus far, the QA program has resulted in a significant increase in QA activities within the public health division and improvements in many aspects of patient care.
mesh_terms: D001130:Arizona; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000592:standards; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008427:Maternal Health Services / Q000592:standards; D011247:Pregnancy; D011634:Public Health / Q000639:trends*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000639:trends*