Quality assurance is any systematic process of checking to see whether a service is meeting specified requirements. The service in this case is dental hygiene care.A� As many other professional regulatory bodies, the College of Dental Hygienistsa�� of Ontario (CDHO) implements a quality assurance program as a standard.A� The delivery of the quality assurance program may vary among professional healthcare colleges.A� Examples of quality assurance programs include a point system or the use of a portfolio.A� A�The CDHO requires that a registered dental hygienist maintains a quality assurance portfolio as a condition of registration.A�A� Currently, the CDHO quality assurance program is undergoing a transformation.A� Registrants will be given the choice of how to participate in the program.A� Portfolios can be maintained, while doing a written evaluation in the form of a test is also an option. Trying to simplify the process as well has been an undertaking of the CDHO by incorporating a learning management system to be used by registrants to maintain quality assurance.A� This system will aid the registrant in determining deficiencies to then create goals for self-improvement, followed by completing an appropriate activity to ensure the goal is met.
The quality assurance program is a way of having the dental hygienist keep an eye on his/her practice of dental hygiene, to continuously self-assess for potential areas of deficiency to correct where needed.A� This strengthens both the competency of the dental hygienist, and also the confidences of the clients in the profession when being treated by dental hygienists.A� Through such a system, the clients have assurance that the dental hygienist is checking his/herself, but also that the CDHO is checking the dental hygienists, ensuring professional growth and maintaining client safety.
A quality assurance system is said to increase client confidence and a professiona��s credibility. There is nothing wrong with someone looking over your shoulder to make sure a�?all is gooda��, and to continuously improve the quality of care being provided to the public; especially when it starts with the healthcare provider him/herselfa��the dental hygienist!
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