Abstract
Behavioral health organizations have been increasingly required to implement plans to monitor and improve service quality. This qualitative study explores challenges that quality assurance and improvement (QA/I) personnel experience in performing their job in those practice settings. Sixteen QA/I personnel from different agencies in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A., were interviewed face-to-face using a semi-structured instrument to capture challenges and a questionnaire to capture participant and agency characteristics. Data analysis followed a grounded theory approach. Challenges involved agency resources, agency buy-in, personnel training, competing demands, shifting standards, authority, and research capacity. Further research is needed to assess these challenges given expected outcomes.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 190-198 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research |
Volume | 40 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - May 2013 |
Keywords
- Behavioral health services
- Qualitative methods
- Quality assurance
- Quality improvement
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Phychiatric Mental Health
- Health Policy
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
- Psychiatry and Mental health