Quality assurance programmes and patient safety in anaesthesia
Zeitlin, G.L.
Annals of the Academy of Medicine Singapore 23(6 Suppl): 154-156
1994
ISSN/ISBN: 0304-4602 PMID: 7710229 Document Number: 428910
Formal Quality Assurance programmes have been widely promoted and applied in anaesthesia departments in the United States of America. The rationale of three well-known programmes is examined. Although they may be of use as a method of examining one's own practice, there is little objective evidence to support the idea of measuring an anaesthesiologist's competence. There is also a danger that licensing authorities will misuse such spurious information.