In terms of process, how does quality assurance differ from quality improvement?

Quality assurance (QA) and quality improvement (QI) serve different roles within an organization, particularly in the context of public safety telecommunicators. Understanding their distinctions is crucial for ensuring high standards in service delivery.

Quality assurance is primarily a reactive process. It involves assessing and ensuring that certain standards and processes are met after the fact, often through audits and evaluations. QA focuses on identifying errors and implementing corrective measures to maintain compliance with established standards.

On the other hand, quality improvement takes a proactive approach. It emphasizes continuously assessing and enhancing processes to improve outcomes. QI involves identifying areas for enhancement, developing strategies to address these areas, and implementing changes that lead to better performance and higher quality service delivery over time.

The distinction in their approaches leads to different methodologies and focuses; QA is often about maintaining current standards while QI is about aspiring to elevate those standards and outcomes.