title: Challenges to quality assurance and improvement efforts in behavioral health organizations: a qualitative assessment.
abstract: Behavioral health organizations have been increasingly required to implement plans to monitor and improve service quality. This qualitative study explores challenges that quality assurance and improvement (QA/I) personnel experience in performing their job in those practice settings. Sixteen QA/I personnel from different agencies in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A., were interviewed face-to-face using a semi-structured instrument to capture challenges and a questionnaire to capture participant and agency characteristics. Data analysis followed a grounded theory approach. Challenges involved agency resources, agency buy-in, personnel training, competing demands, shifting standards, authority, and research capacity. Further research is needed to assess these challenges given expected outcomes.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, Arizona State University, 411 N. Central Ave., Suite 800, Phoenix, AZ 85004-0689, USA. lezayas@asu.edu
authors.forename: Luis E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Zayas
authors.forename: J Curtis
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: McMillen
authors.forename: Madeline Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Samantha J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Books
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services; D008875:Middle Aged; D008923:Missouri; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D058996:Quality Improvement; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires