Module 9: Quality Assurance and Risk Management Services

Welcome to Quality Assurance and Risk Management Services!

Quality Assurance and Risk Management processes incorporate planned and organized actions necessary to provide healthcare services which are needed and expected by the patient. Quality Assurance (QA) helps to ensure patient satisfaction by providing that each patient receives the best possible care and treatment. Risk Management (RM) operations ensure that the healthcare facility is safe for patients, visitors, and staff and involves preventing problems and taking action to solve any problems that may occur. It also involves all efforts to reduce or eliminate hazards that could ensure injury and result in a lawsuit for negligence or malpractice.

Quality Assurance and Risk Management initiatives are closely related in many healthcare facilities and they require a team effort on the part of all employees. Both programs are utilized to achieve greater efficiencies in the delivery of healthcare services and strive to effectively improve the levels of quality in those respective services. Additionally, organizations such as the Joint Commission and the U.S.Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) assist healthcare facilities in the QA and RM process because they facilitate in the development of effective performance measurement indicators and activities that monitor the approaches to improving quality and providing healthcare.