What does CQI stand for in healthcare?

Continuous Quality Improvement is a systematic, ongoing effort to improve the quality of care and services in healthcare settings. The term emphasizes that the process of quality enhancement is not a one-time event but rather a consistent and iterative effort aimed at achieving optimal outcomes for patients and the healthcare system as a whole.

In a CQI framework, organizations assess their current processes, identify areas that need improvement, implement strategies for enhancing those processes, and evaluate the effects of those changes. This cycle of planning, doing, studying, and acting (often referred to as the PDSA cycle) ensures that healthcare services are continually refined and that best practices are adopted.

The other options, while they contain some relevant concepts, do not encapsulate the comprehensive and ongoing nature of quality improvement practices as clearly as Continuous Quality Improvement does. For example, "Constant Quality Improvement" suggests a fixed or rigid approach rather than one that is adaptable and ongoing, while "Comprehensive Quality Initiative" implies a broader program without explicitly highlighting the continuous nature. "Clinical Quality Indicator" refers specifically to metrics used to evaluate the quality of clinical care, but it does not reflect the overarching philosophy of continuous improvement in healthcare processes.