Quality assurance (QA) activities are those in which the primary purpose is to monitor, evaluate or improve the quality of health care delivered by a health care provider (an individual, a service or an organisation). Terms such as ‘QA’, ‘clinical audit’, ‘quality improvement (QI)’, ‘quality activities’, ‘audit’ and ‘quality studies’ are often used interchangeably to refer to activities that fall under the auspice of QA review (NHMRC, 2014). 

The GV Health Research and Ethics Unit aims to encourage and facilitate the process of QA activities, as it is an essential process for improving health services and patient outcomes. QA aims to gain information on specific services to create better outcomes and more effective processes. 

Determining QA Eligibility

To determine the level of risk associated with the project, please complete the Risk Assessment Checklist . This will indicate whether the project is eligible for review as a QA activity.

QA activities must be initiated by a GV Health Principal Investigator. Any applications initiated by an external Principal Investigator are not considered QA.

Submitting a QA Application

To determine the level of risk associated with the project, please complete the Risk Assessment Checklist . This will indicate whether the project is eligible for review as a QA activity.

QA activities must be initiated by a GV Health Principal Investigator. Any applications initiated by an external Principal Investigator are not considered QA. 

The applicant should have a clear QA question/topic. For assistance in identifying a relevant question/topic discuss with Clinical Supervisors and/or the Director of Research/Research and Ethics Unit.

The applicant should have adequate discussion within the Department, with the Head of Department, and with the Research and Ethics Unit about the QA activity and whether there is a departmental process that needs to be complied with in order to get approval to conduct the study. 

There are no closing dates for QA applications, they can be submitted for review at any time.

QA applications via ERM are encouraged by GV Health, however the use of ERM is not mandatory for QA and applications may be submitted electronically by email to Research.Ethics@gvhealth.org.au. For more information on how to submit a QA application via ERM, download the ERM Applicant User Guide.

To make a QA application, the Quality Assurance Project Application Form must be completed. The application must contain adequate background information; methodologies including sample estimate, data reviewing period with estimated duration of audit; data recording, management, and analysis; and dissemination plan for the QA activity. The Head of Department and the applicant must sign the QA Project Application Form prior to submission.

A Data Request Form must also be completed as a supporting document to the QA Project Application Form. 

Following submission, the Research and Ethics Unit will review the QA application and the applicant will be notified of the outcome within two weeks.  

If the application is approved, the applicant must show a copy of the approval letter and the approved data request form to the Health Information Management Department for required data or data access.

The investigator must submit a final report of the audit to the Research and Ethics Unit after completion of the QA activity and within the given time frame outlined in the approval letter.

* All QA investigators must handover QA related data and paper-works to their respective department before they conclude their tenure at GV Health, irrespective of whether the project is complete or not. 

 
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Goulburn Valley Health
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  • RELEVANT DOCUMENTS

Risk Assessment Checklist

Quality Assurance Project Application Form

Data Request Form