Development of a Quality Improvement Checklist for the Department of Veterans Affairs

In 1991, the Department of Veterans Affairs developed an instrument to monitor various aspects of quality in Veterans Affairs hospitals. The instrument, the Quality Improvement Checklist, is composed of a series of clinical indicators or questions about administrative or clinical processes, structures, or outcomes. For most questions, data are obtained by automated search of electronic patient databases maintained in each facility. Individual hospital data are collated and displayed in comparative format with those from other hospitals. Hospitals use the information to identify areas needing further study or improvement. Hospital directors and physicians are slowly accepting the usefulness of the instrument. Read a description of the development, testing, implementation, and utility of the Quality Improvement Checklist in the federal hospital system.