Quality improvement (QI) is at the foundation of the
Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) process, and has been incorporated throughout all of the
Standards and Measures.
QI in public health is the use of a deliberate and defined improvement process, such as Plan-Do-Check-Act, which is focused on activities that are responsive to community needs and improving population health. It refers to a continuous and ongoing effort to achieve measurable improvements in the efficiency, effectiveness, performance, accountability, outcomes, and other indicators of quality in services or processes which achieve equity and improve the health of the community1.
PHAB specifically highlights the importance of QI under Domain 9: Improve and innovate public health functions through ongoing evaluation, research, and continuous quality improvement. Demonstration of continuous improvement is also encouraged throughout the accreditation process, and among many Standards and Measures.
The Public Health Foundation (PHF) supports accreditation preparation efforts in the area of QI by:
These key QI resources can support your organization’s efforts to achieve PHAB accreditation.
1Riley, Moran, Corso, Beitsch, Bialek, and Cofsky, Defining Quality Improvement in Public Health. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. January/February 2010.