What has happened to programmes in quality assurance by physicians in large teaching hospitals in Australia and New Zealand?

Hospital Quality Assurance (QA) programmes by divisions and departments of medicine have developed since the late 1970s. The Continuing Education Unit of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians played a facilitatory role in this development, especially in the first five to six years. A survey of 38 major teaching hospitals in Australia and New Zealand early in 1989 revealed that of the 35 responding all had introduced a formal QA programme in internal medicine between 1976 and 1988. The 'Austin Hospital Method' of review seminars was the most popular format when QA programmes were introduced and 26 hospitals still maintain such a format - at least as a component of their programmes. Most programmes have been subject to modification to suit local needs. There have been no serious problems in maintaining confidentiality of information derived from QA exercises. Despite a formidable array of constraining forces, the majority of continuing QA programmes appeared to be stable. Seventeen hospitals reported that the organising group was recognised as an official committee of their hospital's administration. Although eight programmes have been discontinued in the last four years, nearly as many new ones have been introduced.