Quality Assessment Framework Research Articles

Measuring the Quality of a Childhood Cancer Care Delivery System: Quality Indicator Development

ObjectivesA set of indicators to assess the quality of a childhood cancer system has not been identified in any jurisdiction internationally, despite the movement toward increased accountability and provision of high-quality care with limited health care resources. This study was conducted to develop a set of quality indicators (QIs) of a childhood cancer control and health care delivery system in Ontario, Canada. MethodsA systematic review and targeted gray literature search were conducted to identify potential childhood cancer QIs. A series of investigator focus group sessions followed to review all QIs identified in the literature, and to generate a provisional QI set for a childhood cancer system. QIs were evaluated by three content experts in a sequential selection process on the basis of a series of criteria to select a subset for presentation to stakeholders. Following an appraisal of the relevance of quality assessment frameworks, remaining QIs were mapped onto the Cancer System Quality Index framework. ResultsThe systematic review yielded few relevant childhood cancer system QIs. Overall, 120 provisional QIs were developed by the investigator group. Based on median QI rating scores, representation across the childhood cancer continuum, and feasibility of data collection, a subset of 33 QIs was selected for stakeholder consideration. ConclusionsThe subset of 33 QIs developed on the basis of a systematic literature review and consensus provides the basis for the selection of a set of QIs for ongoing, standardized monitoring of various dimensions of quality in a childhood cancer system.

An online quality assessment framework for automated welding processes

Despite the broad adoption of robotic welding, automated quality assessment of the resulting welds is still in its infancy and therefore quality checks are commonly performed by human experts. In this study, we conduct quality testing simultaneously with the welding process (online). For this purpose, a camera positioned behind the welding head provides images of the weld pool and parts of the solidified bead, which is tracked in successive frames. We suggest a weld bead segmentation algorithm, which links the outcome of several local hough transforms with two spline functions in each frame. The actual quality assessment is based on shape features, which can easily be extracted from the segmented weld bead. We propose several distance measures (e.g., dynamic time warping) enabling a comparison between the currently observed weld bead and a reference. Additionally, we suggest variance-based ad hoc quality measures, making reference information expendable. A novel database featuring a large variety of welding tasks, materials and sources of error forms the basis of our experiments. An evaluation of the proposed online quality assessment framework yielding an equal error rate of less than 3 %, based on more than 250 single welds, corroborates the robustness of the approach.

Using Plant Clinic Registers to Assess the Quality of Diagnoses and Advice Given to Farmers: A Case Study from Uganda

Purpose: This study developed a framework for quality assessment of diagnoses and advice given at plant clinics. Design/methodology/approach: Clinic registers from five plant clinics in Uganda (2006–2010) were used to develop quality assessment protocols for diagnoses and advice given by plant doctors. Assessment of quality of diagnoses was based on five validation criteria applied on the ten most common crops. Quality of advice was assessed for the four major problems considering efficacy and feasibility. Findings: The quality of diagnoses varied between crops, from 68% completely validated in maize to 1% in tomato. Complete and partially validated diagnoses were 44% of all queries. The remaining 56% were rejected. Several basic weaknesses were found in data recording and symptom recognition. A greater consistency and precision in naming diseases would increase the number of completely validated diagnoses. The majority of recommendations (82%) were assessed ‘partially effective’. ‘Best practice’ was recommended for 10% and ineffective advice was given in 8% of the cases with considerable variation between diseases. Practical implications: Plant doctors need more training in symptom recognition, pest management and record keeping as well as better technical backstopping to solve unknown problems. Common standards and procedures for clinic data collection and analysis should be established, and roles and responsibilities clearly defined. Originality/value: This is the first time plant clinic registers have been used to systematically assess quality of plant clinic services. Apart from being a valuable tool for quality assessment of extension, the plant clinic registers constitute a novel source of regular information about pests, diseases and farmer demand that can help improve decision-making of extension service providers, researchers, plant health authorities as well as information and technology providers.

Quality assessment of the land administration system in Pakistan

Performance issues of land administration systems, specifically the quality aspects, have been getting more attention over the last few years. Different assessment attempts have been carried out at international level, across different land administration systems in the world, to evaluate the performance of land administration systems by comparing different aspects of these systems. In all these evaluations, prime attention is given to only those measuring parameters which are common to all these systems. In some cases, legal and technical parameters are considered while the institutional and organisational parameters receive more attention in others. There have been a few efforts to standardise the procedures for assessing the performance of land administration systems at international level but there is no internationally accepted or standardised method to assess the quality of a standalone land administration system (LAS) within a country's environment. To be able to assess the quality of a standalone LAS, this paper develops a conceptual and methodological framework for carrying out in-depth analysis of the system. This research identifies those elements, indicators and variables that are required for assessing the quality of a standalone LAS. In order to identify such elements, indicators and variables to be included in the framework, a theoretical background is first discussed. A quality assessment framework and the methodological approach for assessing the quality of LASs are then developed. The approach is finally applied to assess the quality situation of the LAS in Pakistan by using the quality assessment framework via an explanatory case-study approach.

Applicability and application of machine translation quality metrics in the patent field

This article provides a guide for readers interested in deepening their knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the different machine translation (MT) quality metrics, and presents a methodology and tooling developed respectively by LexisNexis® and its MT provider Asia Online™ as part of a human quality assessment framework for patent translation. The methodology is designed specifically to compensate for the shortcomings of automated evaluation.

A Model-Based Framework for Air Quality Indices and Population Risk Evaluation, with an Application to the Analysis of Scottish Air Quality Data

The paper is devoted to the development of a statistical framework for air quality assessment at the country level and for the evaluation of the ambient population exposure and risk with respect to airborne pollutants. The framework is based on a multivariate space–time model and on aggregated indices defined at different levels of aggregation in space and time. The indices are evaluated, uncertainty included, by considering both the model outputs and the information on the population spatial distribution. The framework is applied to the analysis of air quality data for Scotland for 2009 referring to European and Scottish air quality legislation.

Possibilities of implementation of bioavailability methods for organic contaminants in the Dutch Soil Quality Assessment Framework

In the Netherlands, risk assessment of contaminated soils is based on determining the total contaminant concentration. If this measured soil concentration exceeds the Soil Quality Standards (SQS) a higher tier risk evaluation must be performed. Experiences from the field have given rise to the perception that performing risk evaluations based on (measured) total concentrations may lead to an inaccurate assessment of the actual risks. Assuming that only the bioavailable fraction is capable of exerting adverse effects in the soil ecosystem, it is suggested, that by taking bioavailability into account in a (higher tier) risk evaluation, a more effect-based risk assessment can be performed. Bioavailability has been a subject of research for several decades. However up to now bioavailability has not been implemented in the Dutch Soil Quality Assessment Framework. First actions were taken in the Netherlands to determine whether the concept of bioavailability could be implemented in the risk assessment of contaminated soils and to find out how bioavailability can become part of the Dutch Soil Quality Assessment Framework. These actions have led to a concrete proposal for implementation of bioavailability methods in the risk assessment of organic contaminants in soils. This paper focuses on the chemical prediction of bioavailability for ecological risk assessment of contaminated soils.

Die besten Absichten zu haben ist notwendig, aber nicht hinreichend – Qualitätsdimensionen in den Frühen Hilfen

Early childhood interventions are a promising strategy to improve the development of children in socially disadvantaged families and to reduce their risk for abuse and neglect. However, proven effects are small with substantial variations between existing programs depending on differences in program planning and implementation. On the basis of international findings on the effectiveness of early childhood intervention, health promotion, and implementation research, we provide an overview of different quality aspects in the development, implementation, and evaluation of early childhood interventions, and a framework for future quality assessment of early childhood intervention programs in Germany. Scaling up of these programs should be accompanied by intensive quality assessment and development in order to achieve the intended outcomes.

Halftone Image Quality Assessment Based on Digital Watermark

Digital watermarking is the process of computer-aided information hiding in a carrier signal with robust and concealment characteristics. A halftone image quality assessment framework based on digital watermark is proposed. First, we segmented image dark tong area and edge through C-V model and transformed segmentation image into binary image to obtain the area in which watermark is to be embedded. Then, the watermark was embedded and the image quality assessment was completed by extracted watermark. The experimental results show that the presented quality evaluation scheme of halftone image can detect printed image quality efficiently with the characteristics of novel and rapid.

Comparison of National Mental Health Quality Assessment Programs Across the Globe

This study by the International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership Clinical Leaders Project sought to describe ongoing or soon-to-be-established national-level mental health quality measurement programs in 12 participating countries, in order to understand the nature and structure of these programs. A survey was distributed to representatives from the participating countries (Australia, Canada, England, Germany, Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, Taiwan, and the United States). Data included descriptions of qualifying programs and the organizations responsible for them, quality indicators used, entities assessed, sources and means of the programs' data collection, the level at which data are reported, and how the data are used. Participants were asked to identify which quality domains and subdomains were represented by indicators in each program. Results were analyzed with descriptive statistics. Thirty-eight programs were identified. Most programs were administered by governmental organizations, focused on hospital care, and used encounter or utilization databases as sources of information. Programs used different methods to identify indicators. Program data were used for various purposes. A wide range of domains of quality were represented in the programs reported, although most commonality was seen in domains associated with high-acuity care, with fewer programs assessing recovery-related domains. This study found wide variation among established quality assessment programs, which may reflect a focus on local priorities. The goal of this project is to work toward establishing an international framework for mental health quality assessment and thus a means to compare key measures of performance across countries.

Transitioning sediment quality assessment into regulations: Challenges and solutions in implementing California's sediment quality objectives

Development and promulgation of sediment quality criteria represents a substantial challenge for water quality agencies. Unlike water quality programs that rely on individual chemical thresholds to assess water quality, the complex processes affecting contaminant bioavailability in sediments preclude the use of contaminant concentrations to independently assess impacts or identify cause. Various multiple line of evidence approaches (e.g., sediment quality triad) have been developed for sediment quality assessment, but such frameworks are rarely fully incorporated into statewide regulatory programs due to a lack of standardized and validated tools. In 2003, California's State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) initiated development of sediment quality criteria and an assessment framework that required the developers to resolve many challenging technical and policy related issues to the satisfaction of stakeholders, scientists, and the general public. The first part of this multiyear effort has been completed and resulted in the development and validation of an integrated collection of tools, thresholds, and a data interpretation framework for assessing sediment contamination impacts on benthic community condition. The State Water Board's narrative sediment quality criteria and assessment framework became effective in 2009, following US Environmental Protection Agency approval. The results of this effort are described in a series of 6 articles published in this issue of Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management. The articles describe: 1) a multiple line of evidence framework for data integration and assessment, 2) calibration and evaluation of sediment quality guidelines for predicting toxic responses, 3) development and evaluation of sediment quality guidelines with respect to benthic macrofauna responses, 4) selection of toxicity test methods and thresholds, 5) identification and characterization of benthic community assemblages, 6) the effect of sampling methods on benthic community assessment, and 7) recommendations on improving the assessment of contaminant exposure in sediment quality assessment. This collection of articles illustrates the steps needed to improve the scientific foundation for sediment quality assessment in regulatory applications.

A framework for assessing Health Economic Evaluation (HEE) quality appraisal instruments

BackgroundHealth economic evaluations support the health care decision-making process by providing information on costs and consequences of health interventions. The quality of such studies is assessed by health economic evaluation (HEE) quality appraisal instruments. At present, there is no instrument for measuring and improving the quality of such HEE quality appraisal instruments. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to establish a framework for assessing the quality of HEE quality appraisal instruments to support and improve their quality, and to apply this framework to those HEE quality appraisal instruments which have been subject to more scrutiny than others, in order to test the framework and to demonstrate the shortcomings of existing HEE quality appraisal instruments.MethodsTo develop the quality assessment framework for HEE quality appraisal instruments, the experiences of using appraisal tools for clinical guidelines are used. Based on a deductive iterative process, clinical guideline appraisal instruments identified through literature search are reviewed, consolidated, and adapted to produce the final quality assessment framework for HEE quality appraisal instruments.ResultsThe final quality assessment framework for HEE quality appraisal instruments consists of 36 items organized within 7 dimensions, each of which captures a specific domain of quality. Applying the quality assessment framework to four existing HEE quality appraisal instruments, it is found that these four quality appraisal instruments are of variable quality.ConclusionsThe framework described in this study should be regarded as a starting point for appraising the quality of HEE quality appraisal instruments. This framework can be used by HEE quality appraisal instrument producers to support and improve the quality and acceptance of existing and future HEE quality appraisal instruments. By applying this framework, users of HEE quality appraisal instruments can become aware of methodological deficiencies inherent in existing HEE quality appraisal instruments. These shortcomings of existing HEE quality appraisal instruments are illustrated by the pilot test.

A Pragmatic Framework for Single-site and Multisite Data Quality Assessment in Electronic Health Record-based Clinical Research

Answers to clinical and public health research questions increasingly require aggregated data from multiple sites. Data from electronic health records and other clinical sources are useful for such studies, but require stringent quality assessment. Data quality assessment is particularly important in multisite studies to distinguish true variations in care from data quality problems. We propose a "fit-for-use" conceptual model for data quality assessment and a process model for planning and conducting single-site and multisite data quality assessments. These approaches are illustrated using examples from prior multisite studies. Critical components of multisite data quality assessment include: thoughtful prioritization of variables and data quality dimensions for assessment; development and use of standardized approaches to data quality assessment that can improve data utility over time; iterative cycles of assessment within and between sites; targeting assessment toward data domains known to be vulnerable to quality problems; and detailed documentation of the rationale and outcomes of data quality assessments to inform data users. The assessment process requires constant communication between site-level data providers, data coordinating centers, and principal investigators. A conceptually based and systematically executed approach to data quality assessment is essential to achieve the potential of the electronic revolution in health care. High-quality data allow "learning health care organizations" to analyze and act on their own information, to compare their outcomes to peers, and to address critical scientific questions from the population perspective.

Pelletization Quality Simulation for Operation Uncertainty of Die-Plate Based on Liquid-Solid-Liquid Coupling Model

As an important component of large-scale extruder system for polymer material, Die-plate can be regarded as the final determinant for pelletization quality. Flow fluctuation of extruder and die-hole blocking can be summarized as two uncertainties for pelletization quality problem. A Liquid-Solid-Liquid coupling FEM method is presented to simulate factors of temperature distribution, flow distribution and flow rate control. Based on the calculations and mechanism analysis, pelletization quality degree and assessment framework are designed and calculated to analyze the impact of operation uncertainties to final product. With the simulation and evaluation framework, control methods for pelletization quality are discussed for Die-plate design and operation condition settings.

Supported Self-Management: A Simple, Effective Way to Improve Depression Care

To introduce supported self-management (SSM) for depression, examine it through the use of a quality assessment framework, and show its potential for enhancing the Canadian health care system. SSM is examined in terms of quality criteria: relevance, effectiveness, appropriateness, efficiency, safety, acceptability, and sustainability. Critical research is highlighted, and a case study is presented to illustrate the use of SSM with depressed patients. SSM is defined by access to a self-management guide (workbook or website) plus encouragement and coaching by health care provider, family member, or other supporter. It has high relevance to depression care in Canada, high cost-effectiveness, high appropriateness for most people with depression, and high safety. Acceptability of this intervention is more problematic: many providers remain doubtful of its acceptability to their poorly motivated patients. Sustainability of SSM as a component of mental health care will require ongoing knowledge exchange among policy-makers, health care providers, and researchers. The introduction of SSM represents a unique opportunity to enhance the delivery of depression care in Canada. Actively engaging the distressed individual in changing depressive patterns can improve outcomes without mobilizing substantial new resources. Over time, we will learn more about making SSM compatible with constraints on provider time, increasing access to self-management tools, and evaluating the benefit to everyday clinical work.

Healthcare quality in systemic lupus erythematosus: using Donabedian’s conceptual framework to understand what we know

Healthcare quality improvement has the potential to reduce the striking disparities in health outcomes among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Donabedian's framework for assessment of healthcare quality, which divides factors impacting quality into structures, processes and outcomes, provides a theoretical framework for research and interventions in quality improvement. This review applies Donabedian's model to current research describing quality of care in SLE, highlighting structures and processes that may lead to improved outcomes. Work remains to be done to develop meaningful metrics to assess quality and to understand the structures and processes that improve outcomes. Quality indicators have emerged as an important tool to measure quality, but further validation is required to define their validity and feasibility in clinical practice, as well as their association with improved outcomes. Implementation science also shows promise as a means to create meaningful systematic improvements in healthcare quality for patients with SLE.

Soil Quality Changes and Quality Status: A Case Study of the Subtropical China Region Ultisol

Aims: To provide a soil quality assessment frame work and threshold limits for assessing soil quality in Ultisol of subtropical China region. Study Design: Selected minimum data set for soil quality assessment and threshold limits for the study were total carbon, nitrogen, soil pH and phosphorus, biomass carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, maize grain and fresh potato tuber yields. Soil data (2000-2010), maize grain and fresh potato yield data (2000-2009) from a long term experiment under the Institute of subtropical Agriculture, China were analyzed using the SAS statistical package and means were graphically compared to determine threshold limits for selected data set and fitted into a soil quality model. Place and Duration of Study: The key Laboratory for Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Regions, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Changsha, Hunan China long-term experimental site in Taoyuan county, conducted from the year 2000 to 2010. Methodology: Soils samples at the experimental fields were obtained from depths 0-20 cm using an auger at each replicate in triplicates and homogenized to obtain a composite sub sample, air-dried, sieved through 2.0 mm to obtain samples for analysis in the Laboratory. Parameters analyzed for were organic carbon concentration, measured by the combustion method using an automated C/N analyzer (Vario MAX CN, Elemental Co., Germany) while total nitrogen was by the Kjeldahl method of ISSCAS (1978). Microbial carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus levels were determined using the chloroform-fumigationextraction method (Jenkinson and Powlson, 1976; Vance et al., 1987; Brookes et al., Case Study

Framework for assessing quality of care for inflammatory bowel disease in Sweden.

To create and apply a framework for quality assessment and improvement in care for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. A framework for quality assessment and improvement was created for IBD based on two generally acknowledged quality models. The model of Donabedian (Df) offers a logistical and productive perspective and the Clinical Value Compass (CVC) model adds a management and service perspective. The framework creates a pedagogical tool to understand the balance between the dimensions of clinical care (CVC) and the components of clinical outcome (Df). The merged models create a framework of the care process dimensions as a whole, reflecting important parts of the IBD care delivery system in a local setting. Clinical and organizational quality measures were adopted from clinical experience and the literature and were integrated into the framework. Data were collected at the yearly check-up for 481 IBD patients during 2008. The application of the quality assessment framework was tested and evaluated in a local clinical IBD care setting in Jönköping County, Sweden. The main outcome was the presentation of how locally-selected clinical quality measures, integrated into two complementary models to develop a framework, could be instrumental in assessing the quality of care delivered to patients with IBD. The selected quality measures of the framework noted less anemia in the population than previously reported, provided information about hospitalization rates and the few surgical procedures reported, and noted good access to the clinic. The applied local quality framework was feasible and useful for assessing the quality of care delivered to IBD patients in a local setting.

Towards a Data Quality Framework for Decision Support in a Multidimensional Context

Data quality is defined as fitness for use; meaning it is strongly influenced by contextual factors. None of the proposed methods for data quality assessment considers the management level and decision process phase as important contextual factors. Each combination of different management levels and decision process phases can be described as the overall context in which data quality is to be assessed and leads to a certain information demand. The information demand can in turn be described by a set of features whose values depend on the overall context. A context-sensitive assessment of data quality should therefore be based on data quality dimensions related with certain features characterizing the information demand and their values. This paper proposes a framework for data quality assessment based on the contextual factors management level and decision process phase which allows a decision maker to relate data quality dimensions to values of features of the information demand. Based on this individual assignment of dimensions, the user can access situation specific information regarding data quality.

An Information Services Inspired Framework for Assessing Scientific Book Quality

Scientific book quality is two-fold in terms of an intangible and a tangible aspect. Traditionally, an editor reads and assesses the quality characteristics of the manuscript. Considering the book as an object, quality focuses on the publishing production process and workmanship. The above include a wide number of services and operations involving publishers, authors, the editorial department, the creative department, etc. The advent of scholarly communication and self-publishing would benefit from an objective and measurable book quality assessment framework. This paper addresses a number of challenging issues, such as definition and quantification of quality in scientific books. The paper examines services and techniques which can be used to reduce the cost of scientific manuscript assessment and increase objectivity. The information services inspired framework supports the review process in which an expert engages the assessment of a manuscript.