Quality assurance system using ISO 9000 series standards to improve the effectiveness and efficacy of the Headache Centre.

The ISO 9000 series has been adopted as a reference standard and operating system for a Quality Assurance project involving all the units of the Polyclinic of Modena, within which the Headache Centre operates, to guarantee a clearly-defined standard of service to the client and the promotion of continuous quality improvement. The implementation of the quality system, which necessitated analysis and description of the process of headache diagnosis and treatment currently being applied, highlighted those aspects that did not conform with the quality objective, primarily, the long waiting list for admission. Since ready accessibility is a basic requisite for the quality of health care services, a new organisational set-up was introduced, and is still in place, with the aim of enabling patients who are really in need to be admitted to the Headache Centre without undue delay.