Formal Quality Assurance Research Articles

Negotiating quality in open youth work: Balancing standardisation and individualised support

Formal quality assurance procedures in social service organisations are usually closely linked to issues of efficiency and effectiveness. However, there are often doubts as to whether such procedures can also be used profitably for the development of educational practice. In particular, tensions arise between the need for standardisation and comparability of output data on the one hand, and the often low-threshold and individualised support of young people on the other. Drawing on an empirical study in the field of youth work, the article addresses this problem of conflicting quality expectations in state-funded social and educational institutions. Based on expert interviews with youth work practitioners and drawing on neo-institutionalist theoretical concepts, it analyses which strategies and practices are used in open youth work to deal effectively with such contradictory quality expectations. Using a typology of different processing methods, the results show that an important aspect of professional quality action can be seen in the empowering behaviour of professionals and their context-specific interpretation and transformation of external requirements.

Anatomical and physiological diagnostic discrepancies in fetuses with single-ventricle congenital heart disease in a contemporary cohort.

Image quality of fetal echocardiography (FE) has improved in the recent era, but few recent studies have reported the accuracy of FE, specifically in single ventricle (SV) congenital heart disease (CHD). This study aimed to assess the ability of FE to correctly predict SV-CHD postnatal anatomy and physiology in a contemporary cohort. The contemporary clinical reports of patients with SV-CHD, in which FE was performed between July 2017 and July 2021, were compared with postnatal echocardiograms from a formal quality assurance program. SV fetuses were grouped by anatomical subtype. Diagnostic errors were designated as major if the error would have caused significant alteration in parental counseling or postnatal management. The remaining errors were classified as minor. Physiological discrepancies, including prostaglandin-E (PGE) dependency, atrioventricular valve regurgitation (AVVR), pulmonary venous obstruction, and restrictive atrial septum (RAS) were assessed by chart review of the postnatal course. A total of 119 subjects were analyzed. SV subtypes in the cohort included hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) (n = 68), tricuspid atresia (n = 16), double-inlet left ventricle (n = 12), unbalanced atrioventricular canal (UAVC) (n = 11), heterotaxy (n = 9) and other (n = 3). The rate of major anatomical and physiological errors was low (n = 6 (5.0%)). A higher proportion of minor errors was noted in HLHS and tricuspid atresia, but the differences were not statistically significant. Physiological discrepancies were uncommon, with three major discrepancies, including underestimation of the degree of venous obstruction in one non-HLHS fetus with total anomalous pulmonary venous return, overestimation of RAS in one HLHS fetus and incorrect prediction of PGE dependency in one case false-negative for pulmonary blood flow. No discrepancy in degree of AVVR or RAS affected postnatal care. Minor physiological discrepancies included two false-positive predictions of PGE dependency with one false-positive for ductal-dependent systemic flow and one false-positive for pulmonary blood flow. In this contemporary review of FE at our center, there was high accuracy in describing anatomical and physiological findings in SV-CHD. Major physiological discrepancies were uncommon but included important cases of false-negative prediction of PGE dependency and underestimation of obstruction of total anomalous pulmonary venous return. These data can inform more accurate counseling of families with SV-CHD fetuses and guide diagnostic improvement efforts. © 2024 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Small ruminant quality assurance (SRQA) – considerations and practices

There are multiple quality assurance programs in existence for livestock industries in the United States. This includes the Beef Quality Assurance program and Pork Quality Assurance Program. Although technically a Sheep Safety and Quality As­surance program does exist through the American Sheep In­dustry Association, it is not as nationally known or recognized compared to programs featuring major food animal species. No formal quality assurance programs exist for goats in the United States. This proceeding will discuss aspects of small ruminant (sheep and goat) management, preventive medicine and medi­cal treatment that influences quality assurance..

UK endoscopy trainer survey: perspectives on current endoscopy training delivery, experience, barriers and opportunities

ObjectiveUK endoscopy training is delivered by trainers possessing well developed endoscopy and teaching skills to help learners perform high-quality endoscopy. Train The Trainer (TTT) courses are effective, but additional trainer...

The Participation of Employees in Building the Company's Image

This study aims to analyze the participation of employees in building the corporate image of PT Sang Hyang Seri Persero UBD Klaten Office. The research unit is all employees in the UBD Klaten Regional Office, which is as many as 30 people as a sample. The analysis was carried out by qualitative descriptive analysis with Likert analysis tools. The results showed that the total distribution of employee participation in building the company's image was in the low category. Employee participation in the form of quality assurance has a high participation compared to employee participation in service, social interaction and self-appearance

FLUKAVAL – A validation framework for the FLUKA radiation transport Monte Carlo code

The FLUKA general purpose radiation transport Monte Carlo code being developed and maintained by CERN (https://fluka.cern) has adopted modern software development standards including a formal quality assurance process. This includes the FLUKAVAL testing framework that takes into account the specific needs of testing a Monte Carlo radiation transport simulation code. FLUKAVAL allows to submit, process and validate a large number of test cases for a new FLUKA version and compare the results against previous versions and reference data. It produces a quantitative and qualitative comparison and compiles a summary report over all selected test cases, which is reviewed before the new FLUKA version is released. The overall validation requires only few manual steps and makes use of large computing clusters to run simulations in parallel.

Capacity and willingness in higher education accreditation: when incentives are not enough

ABSTRACT Accreditation as a form of quality assurance has spread worldwide. As a result, the public and research interests have targeted the policies that developed agencies and procedures and the responses and effects of accreditation on higher education organizations and programs. However, studies on accreditation have not analyzed two core aspects: the capacity and willingness of the accreditation agencies and the programs to perform their functions. Through qualitative interviews with key stakeholders in the regulatory agencies and universities, this study explores the issue of capacity and willingness in higher education accreditation by studying the functioning of an accreditation agency in Argentina and the responses of organizations and programs to the accreditation process. The results show that three key factors may affect accreditation monitoring, enforcement, and compliance: administrative burden, inadequate resources, and information availability. The findings are relevant beyond the national context and have research and policy implications.

THE INFLUENCE OF TEACHING PRACTICES ON QUALITY ASSURANCE MECHANISMS IN SELECTED UNIVERSITIES IN UGANDA

The effort to enhance formal quality assurance mechanisms in the Ugandan universities started with the creation of the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) in 2003. Teaching practices are critical in the maintenance of quality assurance mechanisms in university education. The purpose of the study was to examine the influence of teaching practices on quality assurance mechanisms in selected universities in Uganda. The specific areas of interest were content delivered, methods of delivery and the adequacy of infrastructure for quality teaching. The study is based on systems theory where the inputs in a university to improve quality assurance mechanisms are the faculty and infrastructure used to implement the curricula in order to produce graduates. The study is based on the pragmatic paradigm with a cross-sectional survey design. A disproportionate stratified random sampling technique was employed to sample 300 faculty and students who expressed their opinions on questionnaires. With convenience sampling 47 students participated in focus group discussions and 20 managers were purposefully sampled for individual interviews. Frequencies, percentages and chi-square were used to analyze the quantitative data and corroborated with qualitative data. The findings revealed a positive contribution of teaching practices to quality assurance mechanisms. The study concluded that there is a moderate influence of teaching practices on quality assurance mechanisms. Therefore, the study recommends that the universities should adopt modern practices of teaching that involve the use of ICT accompanied with training and adequate provision of infrastructure.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0814/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

The role of leadership in effective implementation of quality assurance mechanisms in higher education: an exploratory case study from Pakistan

PurposeThis study aims to explore whether and how leaders’ attributes, understanding of and attitude towards quality assurance (QA) shape their practices towards effective implementation of QA in universities.Design/methodology/approachUsing qualitative case study, the data were collected from nine institutional leaders purposively selected from two universities. The data, collected through semi-structured interviews, were analysed using thematic analysis technique.FindingsThe findings revealed that personal attributes of leaders such as understanding of QA, attitude towards QA and practices shape leadership style either as transformational or compliance leader. The transformational leader implements QA procedures with the intention of bringing improvement in teaching learning and research quality. In contrast, the compliance leaders are primarily concerned with implementation of QA procedures merely to fulfil the requirements of an external regulatory body.Research limitations/implicationsThis study acknowledges that certain other factors (e.g. demographics, institutional policies or practices) might have an influence on leadership practices. Using the framework of this study, further quantitative and/or mixed methods research can expand by bringing more factors that can shape leadership practices.Originality/valueThe role of leadership is significant to the success of any university. A plethora of studies have reported various aspects of successful leadership in higher education (HE). However, in the changing nature of HE due to the emergence of formal QA, there is paucity of research that focusses on the role of leader’s attributes in the effective implementation of QA procedures.

A106 THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF COMPLEX COLONIC POLYPS: A POPULATION BASED STUDY OF THE SOUTHWEST ONTARIO COLONOSCOPY COHORT

BackgroundComplex polyps are well recognized amongst endoscopists, but its definition varies in the literature and from one endoscopist to another. Despite its clinical importance, the epidemiology of complex polyps is poorly understood.AimsTo assess the epidemiology of complex polyps on a population level, and in FIT positive individuals.MethodsThe Southwest Ontario Colonoscopy cohort is a prospective database consisting of all adult patients undergoing colonoscopy at 21 hospitals in Southwest Ontario. Data is collected through a mandatory quality assurance form completed by the endoscopist after each procedure. All outpatient adult colonoscopies for any indication were included. Incomplete colonoscopies, repeat procedures, and poor preparation colonoscopies were excluded. A manual review of the colonoscopy report was completed in cases where the description of the complex polyps was missing. The primary outcomes were the prevalence of complex polyps in the cohort, and in FIT positive patients. Secondary outcomes include endoscopic description of the complex polyp, rates of attempted and complete resection, and identification of possible associations between patient and endoscopist factors with complex polyp detection and removal. A multivariate logistic regression model was generated to assess for factors associated with complex polyp detection.ResultsFrom February 2019 to December 2020, 43389 colonoscopies were included, of which 1459 were for FIT positive patients. 2294 patients had a complex polyp, with a prevalence of 5.3% [95% CI 0.051–0.055], while the prevalence was 17.1% [95% CI 0.152–0.191] in the FIT positive cohort. Compared to average-risk patients undergoing colonoscopy for colon cancer screening, the odds ratio (OR) of detecting a complex polyp in individuals with positive FIT was 4.12 [95% CI 3.42–4.98, p<0.0001]. Among complex polyps,1324 (57.7%) were described as large (>2cm) and 1290 (56%) described as sessile. Of 2294 patients with complex polyps,1992 (86.8%) [95% CI 0.855–0.882] underwent a removal attempt, with successful complete removal as determined by the endoscopist achieved in 1905 patients (95.6%) [95% CI 0.947–0.965]. Compared to gastroenterologists, general surgeons and internists were less likely to detect a complex polyp, OR 0.67 [95% CI 0.61–0.73, p <0.0001] and 0.36 [95% CI 0.20–0.67, p=0.0011] respectively. Trainee involvement was associated with higher rate of complex polyp detection, OR 1.20 [95% CI 1.07–1.35, p=0.0022]. Females were less likely to have a complex polyp compared to males, OR 0.71 [95% CI 0.65–0.77, p<0.0001].ConclusionsComplex polyps are more prevalent than previously reported in the literature, with a high prevalence among the FIT positive population compared to other indications of colonoscopy.Funding AgenciesNone

Incorporating Quality Improvement Projects Into Stroke Care and Research.

Incorporating Quality Improvement Projects Into Stroke Care and Research.

Formal Theories of Engineering Management

What is the key underpinning factor that determines the efficiency of group work? How does human group provide a mechanism for enabling the exchange between labor and time? This paper presents a coordinative work organization theory for explaining the fundamental mechanisms of engineering organization and management. The coordinative work organization theory is derived based on analyzing the nature of group workload and the exchange mechanisms between labor and time in team work. The human error mechanisms in task performance in groups are explored in order to develop a formal quality assurance theory in engineering management. Applications of the formal engineering organization theory have been demonstrated in efficient engineering project organization and optimization in supplement to traditional empirical practices in engineering management.

Tool-based Support for the FAIR Principles for Control Theoretic Results: The "Automatic Control Knowledge Repository"

In 2016 a collection of guiding principles for the management of scientific data was proposed by a consortium of scientists and organizations under the acronym FAIR (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, Reusability). As many other disciplines, control theory also is affected by the (mostly unintended) disregard of these principles and to some degree also suffers from a reproducibility crisis. The specific situation for that discipline, however, is more related to software, than to classical numerical data. In particular, since computational methods like simulation, numeric approximation or computer algebra play an important role, the reproducibility of results relies on implementation details, which are typically out of scope for written papers.While some publications do reference the source code of the respective software, this is by far not standard in industry and academia. Additionally, having access to the source code does not imply reproducibility due to dependency issues w. r. t. hardware and software components. This paper proposes a tool based approach consisting of four components to mitigate the problem: a) an open repository with a suitable data structure to publish formal problem specifications and problem solutions (each represented as source code) along with descriptive metadata, b) a web service that automatically checks the solution methods against the problem specifications and auxiliary software for local testing, c) a computational ontology which allows for semantic tagging and sophisticated querying the entities in the repo and d) a peer-oriented process scheme to organize both the contribution process to that repository and formal quality assurance.

Domestic retrofit supply chain initiatives and business innovations: an international review

A systematic review of international evidence on housing retrofit supply chains was undertaken for the UK government: a Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) summarised the most relevant research from outside the UK; key emerging themes were examined via analysis of 10 expert interviews with European and UK stakeholders, selected for the depth and breadth of their experience in developing retrofit business models. Market development requires concerted efforts from industry and policy, including the regulation of minimum standards. Conservatism in the industry means that opportunities for retrofit will be ignored in preference for the less risky, more familiar repair, maintenance and improvement (RMI) market. Successful retrofit involves customer engagement and after-care, which is outside customary practice. Financing mechanisms are important for firms’ cashflow and for customer acceptance. Skills governance needs to take account of national vocational education systems, and is more complex than simply providing a few new courses. Local partnerships are needed to mobilise and organise the supply chain, whether through local government involvement or new business models enshrining collaborative quality assurance. More formal quality assurance implies some consolidation of supply chains. All these elements must be integrated into a service package, whose overall purpose is to minimise the risks of retrofit for supply chains and customers. <em><strong>Policy relevance</strong></em> A functioning, large-scale energy-efficiency retrofit market needs to have some of the attributes of the existing RMI market, with energy performance grafted on. When compared with the ideal requirements for effective policy, existing policy support is inadequate, being too short-lived, too inconsistent and too easily sidelined by market realities. Retrofit requires high-quality outcomes achieved through integrated service, but construction industry business culture is focused on inputs (not outcomes) and the service is fragmented. Policy must help deliver a cultural shift, which no country has yet succeeded in bringing about. The task may be slow as it entails coordination and change across policy, education and vocational training, and industry practices.

Stop blaming external factors: A historical-sociological argument

With this commentary we respond to Olof Hallonsten’s recent plea to stop evaluating science. In particular, we challenge two central premises of Hallonsten’s argument, regarding both the scope of his argument and the claim that ‘exogenous’ metric evaluation of science on its own explains failures of the current scientific enterprise to produce certified knowledge. Even though we acknowledge that ‘external’ evaluation mechanisms of science likely amplify problematic practices within science, they do not suffice to explain the crisis situation sketched out by Hallonsten and others. Instead, we make a plea to the academic community to introspect on its own practices. We argue that, to an overwhelmingly degree, these research practices shape the reward and quality assurance system of science. Discussing the formal and informal quality assurance mechanisms of science, we conclude that the apparent crisis in science is cultural and organizational, deeply internally rooted, and inseparable from researchers’ daily practices and personal responsibility. Most importantly, this concerns the central role of the academic community in controlling and evaluating how science is practiced, how merit is defined, and how decisions of promotion and rewards are made.

A systematic review of colorectal multidisciplinary team meetings: an international comparison.

BackgroundColorectal multidisciplinary teams (CR MDTs) were introduced to enhance the cancer care pathway and allow for early investigation and treatment of cancer. However, there are no ‘gold standards’ set for this process. The aim of this study was to review the literature systematically and provide a qualitative analysis on the principles, organization, structure and output of CR MDTs internationally.MethodsLiterature on the role of CR MDTs published between January 1999 and March 2020 in the UK, USA and continental Europe was evaluated. Historical background, structure, core members, education, frequency, patient-selection criteria, quality assurance, clinical output and outcomes were extracted from data from the UK, USA and continental Europe.ResultsForty-eight studies were identified that specifically met the inclusion criteria. The majority of hospitals held CR MDTs at least fortnightly in the UK and Europe by 2002 and 2005 respectively. In the USA, monthly MDTs became a mandatory element of cancer programmes by 2013. In the UK, USA and in several European countries, the lead of the MDT meeting is a surgeon and core members include the oncologist, specialist nurse, histopathologist, radiologist and gastroenterologist. There were differences observed in patient-selection criteria, in the use of information technology, MDT databases and quality assurance internationally.ConclusionCR MDTs are essential in improving the patient care pathway and should express clear recommendations for each patient. However, a form of quality assurance should be implemented across all MDTs.

Digital radiography reject analysis of examinations with multiple rejects: an Australian emergency imaging department clinical audit.

IntroductionThe largest source of manmade ionising radiation exposure to the public stems from diagnostic medical imaging examinations. Reject analysis, a form of quality assurance, was introduced to minimise repeat exposures. The purpose of this study was to analyse projection‐specific reject rates and radiographic examinations with multiple rejects.MethodsA retrospective audit of rejected radiographs was undertaken in a busy Australian metropolitan emergency digital X‐ray room from March to June 2018. The data were collected by reject analysis software embedded within the X‐ray unit. Reject rates, and reasons for rejection for each X‐ray projection were analysed.ResultsData from 11, 596 images showed overall reject rate was 10.3% and the overall multiple reject rate was 1.3%. The projections with both a high number and high percentage of rejects were antero‐posterior (AP) chest (175, 18.1%), AP pelvis (78, 22.5%), horizontal beam hip (61, 33.5%) and horizontal beam knee (116, 30.5%). The projections with both a high frequency and multiple reject rate were horizontal beam knee (32, 8.4%) and horizontal beam hip (17, 9.3%). The top reasons for multiple rejects were positioning (67.1%) and anatomy cut‐off (8.4%).ConclusionsThe findings of this study demonstrated that projection‐specific reject and multiple reject analysis in digital radiography is necessary in identifying areas for quality improvement which will reduce radiation exposure to patients. Projections that were frequently repeated in this study were horizontal beam knee and horizontal beam hip. Future research could involve re‐auditing the department following the implementation of improvement strategies to reduce unnecessary radiation exposure.

Strategies for Enhancing Programming in Local Juvenile Courts: Logic Models and Quality Assurance Procedures

The authors provide a case-study related to a recent project using program logic models as a primary component in the implementation of a formal quality assurance process in a local juvenile court. Program logic models illustrate the evolution of court personnel’s thoughts about how best to conceptualize programming. Juvenile court officials are developing and implementing formal “quality assurance” procedures to allow for ongoing planning and program development. The authors argue that quality assurance procedures hold great promise for assuring that juvenile court programming is efficient and effective and serves the needs of local communities.

The Role of Institutional Pressures on the Use of Quality Assurance Practices in Enhancing Effectiveness: A Case Study of Higher Education Institution of Bangladesh

The focus of this study is to explore the institutional pressures and their influence on the use of quality assurance (QA) practices in the higher education institution (HEIs) of a developing country. The findings show that the use of QA practices was the result of three institutional pressures, i.e, coercive, mimetic, and normative pressures. The findings reveal the gradual changes in the nature and intensity of institutional pressure. The changes in institutions QA practices arose due to coercive pressures, including the preferences of stakeholders and regulatory bodies including the University Grants Commission (UGC), Bangladesh Accreditation Council (BAC) aimed at improving the academic standards including academic content and academic programs, curriculum review, research, and establishment of formal QA framework. While mimetic pressures were attributed to the high competition and the resultant uncertainty within the HEI, the normative pressures emerged due to the influence of top management support and training. Moreover, results reveal the effects of QA practices on the effectiveness of the case in terms of increased satisfaction of stakeholders, public image, employability, improved internal and external processes, and stakeholders' confidence. The study contributes to the quality management literature and developing country literature by providing knowledge about institutional pressures and their subsequent impact on QA practices in HEI within a developing country.

BEYOND ALLIANCE FOR KNOWLEDGE – STRONGER TOGETHER

The Beyond Alliance for Knowledge between Hämeenlinna University of Applied Science, Feevale University and VIA University College is a strategic partnership between three institutions of higher education focused on applied sciences. The alliance was founded in 2017 based on the intention of cooperation in ways in which 1 + 1 + 1 equals more than three. In a world of full of global challenges, it is important to us at VIA, as well as to our partners, to go beyond what each of us can do alone.From my chair as Rector of VIA University College, the alliance is of great importance in relation to creating outlook for our academic environments, e.g. in the form of quality assurance, how to conduct research and new concepts. We are a globally oriented institution and being a part of the Beyond Alliance for Knowledge contributes to the internationalisation of our entire organisation. The staff directly involved in projects under the alliance, carry the knowledge and inspiration they gain back into activities and teaching at home – for the benefit of both colleagues and students, as well as VIA as such.