Glossary
Quality assurance (QA)
A formal protocol to review and guide the quality of service provided by a facility. QA evaluates quality assessment and offers corrective actions to resolve any deficiencies regarding direct patient, administrative or support services.
Quality assurance director
Coordinates quality assurance programs and policies for the facility. This person is responsible for quality assurance only and must be a licensed nurse.
Quality indicators (QIs)
Specific areas of resident care used by CMS to judge nursing home quality. The 31 chronic care and three post-acute measures are divided into subcategories to better pinpoint quality areas.
Quality of care
Can be defined as the degree to which delivered healthcare services meet established professional standards, as well as less formal judgments of value to the consumer.
Qui tam lawsuit
Also known as a “whistleblower” lawsuit, it is filed by a private citizen on behalf of the U.S. government against any person or entity believed to be defrauding the federal government. If the government does not pursue a case, which would typically be filed under the False Claims Act, an individual can still proceed on his own. The “whistleblower” receives a percentage of any settlement money.
