Continuous quality assessment is a systematic, ongoing cycle of collecting and analyzing evidence of a program's effectiveness. The information collected is used to evaluate how well the program's goal is being achieved, and decide what may be done to better achieve the goal. Multiple methods and sources are generally used to gather the data necessary to measure performance and outcomes, and these efforts are repeated in a cyclic manner. Continuous quality assessment is often a component of continuous quality improvement.
(SEE ALSO: Continuous Quality Improvement; Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships)
Bibliography
University Assessment Committee, California State University (1993). "Guidelines for Assessment." Available at http://www.csuchico.edu/community/assessment.html.
U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (1997). A Leadership Guide to Quality Improvement for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems. Washington DC: Author.
— AMY F. LEE
