QA,QC,TQM,6-sigma,IU

They say that a chain is only as strong as the weakest link. Medical practice is no different. The best surgical care can be undermined by an overlooked laboratory value and perfect outcome ruined by a mis-filed lab. I’ve learned over the years quality assurance and total quality management are every bit as important as is history taking and the physical exam. Here are some of the things I do routinely in the realm of QA:

--Outbound test and study tracking
--Re-call lists
--No-show lists
--Equipment maintenance and mainetenance logs
--Random chart audits
--e-prescribing
--fax-tracking
--electronic medical records
--A written QA plan

My patients do well. I sleep well at night. Everybody wins.