Includes bibliographical references and index.

Defining outpatient healthcare -- Creating a structure for quality and safety -- Engineering the customer connection -- Policies, procedures, and plans -- The human resource factor -- Measuring quality and safety -- Medication safety -- Infection prevention in the ambulatory setting -- Clinical documentation -- Risk management and safety -- Licensing, deemed status, accreditation, and certification -- Practice makes perfect.

"A valuable reference for those involved in the field of ambulatory patient care, Improving Quality in Outpatient Services offers time-tested instruction on how to create a world-class outpatient program. It supplies a high-level overview of current opportunities, national quality programs, and challenges outlining the policies, procedures, and plans required for success.Stimulating readers with a wealth of practical applications, stories, and examples, the book details the governance, medical staff, and quality structures required to create, implement, and maintain a safe and efficient outpatient program. It introduces powerful techniques for infection control, medication management, risk prevention, and the elimination of medication errors. It also: Lists mandatory policies and procedures; Contains practice drills to prepare you for real-world scenarios; Explains how to create a report card to measure quality at all levels; Includes a sample curriculum that outlines the courseware required by OSHA and other licensing and regulatory agencies. The authors address documentation and human resources factors and supply an abundance of information and resources in the appendices, including how and where to apply for certification, medical record review tools, policy and procedure checklists, and a state-by-state listing of resources available for outpatient and ambulatory programs. Explaining how to involve patients in the decision making process, the text details a proven system for evaluating quality at all levels of your organization"--Provided by publisher.