Quality Assurance Projects – Part 1: Why You Should Care (and Why They’re Easier Than You Think)
This is the first of a two-part series on Quality Assurance (QA) projects. In this article, we explore what QA projects are, why they’re valuable, and how they can support your CPD. In Part 2, we’ll walk through how to design, execute, and follow through on a QA project in your own practice.
What Is a QA Project?
A Quality Assurance (QA) project is a structured way to ask: “Are we doing what we said we’d do—and can we do it better?”
Unlike formal audits or research, QA is typically focused on local systems, processes, and outcomes, and the execution of service improvement. It’s practical, grounded in real-world challenges, and designed to improve the quality and consistency of care.
At its core, a QA project involves:
Identifying an area of concern or uncertainty
Measuring current practice against a standard
Taking action to improve, and
Evaluating the impact of that action
It’s not just an exercise in compliance—it’s a method for making care safer, smoother, and more effective, for both patients and providers.
Why Should Doctors Do QA Projects?
QA is not just the domain of managers or quality departments. In fact, frontline clinicians are ideally placed to lead these projects because we see where the system breaks down, what frustrates patients, and what gets in the way of good care.
More specifically, QA projects:
Improve patient outcomes by identifying and addressing preventable issues
Support clinical reflection and highlight variation in practice
Foster teamwork and shared responsibility
Count toward your CPD, under the Measuring Outcomes category
Build credibility during credentialing, audits, or performance reviews
If you’re already discussing cases at handover, tweaking protocols, or reviewing patient feedback—you’re probably already doing informal QA. A project simply formalises that work so it can be measured, reinforced, repeated, and learned from.
What Counts as a QA Project?
Pretty much anything that ensures your practice aligns with evidence-based standards, policies, or expectations can be a QA project. For example:
A GP practice developing strategies to ensure antibiotic prescribing meets current guidelines
An anaesthetic department facilitating improved theatre start times
A non-clinical research unit checking whether patient privacy is adequately protected
It doesn’t need to be complex or publishable. In fact, the most effective QA projects are often the simplest—targeting day-to-day processes that impact real people.
What’s the CPD Value?
Under the Medical Board of Australia’s CPD framework, QA projects are a rich source of hours. You can claim all hours associated with the project for your CPD under the Measuring Outcomes (Quality Project) category, including:
Background investigation and research
Evaluation of existing practice (auditing / review)
Developing a plan for improvement
Execution of the plan
Review of the outcomes
Why Don’t More People Do QA Projects?
Despite their value, many doctors shy away from QA projects. Common concerns include:
“I don’t have time.” But small-scale projects (10–20 cases) can take just a few hours.
“I don’t know how.” The process is more intuitive than you think, and support is often available (stay tuned for part 2 of this article).
“It won’t make a difference.” Most change is incremental—but cumulative. And even identifying a problem can shift thinking.
“It won’t count for CPD.” It absolutely does. You just need to document it properly.
The real hurdle is getting started—choosing a topic, narrowing your focus, and deciding how to measure it. We’ll guide you through that in Part 2.
A Tool for Better Practice—Not Just a Task for Accreditation
When done well, a QA project is one of the most useful professional exercises you can undertake. It puts you back in touch with why we do what we do, encourages team learning, and contributes meaningfully to patient care. It’s also an opportunity to stop, reflect, and improve—something our day-to-day work rarely allows.
Coming Next: Part 2 – How to Develop, Execute and Follow Through on a QA Project
In the next article, we’ll take you through the practical steps of running a QA project, from idea to action to impact. You’ll get tips on choosing a topic, engaging your team, collecting data, implementing change, and closing the loop.