Purpose

The purpose of the Cancer Surgery Alberta's Quality Assurance Committee is to systematically study, assess and evaluate the provision of cancer surgery services in Alberta with a view to the continual improvement of:

1. the quality of cancer surgery health services provided
2. the level of skill, knowledge and competence of the health services providers involved

Roles and Responsibilities

• Monitor quality assurance processes within Cancer Surgery Alberta to ensure that quality assurance data and activities are carried out to include but not limited to identifying and evaluating cancer surgery health in Alberta including mortality and morbidity and no harm events.
• Apply population health framework and quality dimensions to identify preventable factors, practice and system issues contributing to adverse cancer surgery health outcomes.
• Provide feedback and recommendations to health care providers (regions, groups or individuals) on practice or system issues.
• Assist in, or contribute to, the enhancement of the study of cancer surgery by others.
• Assess, monitor and evaluate quality indicators and morbidity/mortality or other patient related data.
• Make decisions regarding implementation/dissemination of standards/practice guidelines based on outcomes data.
• Establish and monitor provincial guidelines related to access, delivery, quality and cost-effectiveness of cancer surgery services.
• Communicate to professional regulatory bodies regarding practice related issues or concerns of which this committee becomes aware of.
• Identify all restricted records submitted to the Quality Assurance Committee and the corresponding activities undertaken to create those records.
• Develop the practice of labeling those records as Quality Assurance Records (e.g. "Restricted: Quality Assurance Record protected under the Alberta Evidence Act, s.9")
• Ensure that those records are accessed only by those who are authorized to undertake the quality assurance activity for the Committee and the Committee members only.
• Identify the types of records developed by the Quality Assurance Committee for publication.

Membership

The members of the CSA Quality Assurance Committee will be those persons nominated by the Cancer Surgery Alberta's Provincial Steering Committee. It is contemplated that members will have the clinical expertise and analytical skills to carry out the CSA Quality Assurance Committee's responsibilities. Professional associations may be asked for their recommendations as to members.

Members will be appointed for a three (3) to five (5) year term with terms to be staggered, as determined by the CSA Provincial Steering Committee, to ensure reasonable continuity.

Alternate members may be appointed to act at meetings or in circumstances where regular members are unable to participate.

Without otherwise limiting who may be appointed as a member of the CSA Quality Assurance Committee, the following groups/professions/types of practitioners shall be represented:

• Clinical Director, CSA
• Program Leader, CSA
• Community Surgeon - rural or small urban
• Surgeon Leader from each Tumor Group
• Administrative Representative - Tertiary Health Region
• Leader Ambulatory Care - CCI
• Clinical Outcomes Analyst, CSA
• Ethics Representative
• Administrative Representative - rural or small urban Health Region

Chair

The CSA Clinical Director and a Surgeon Leader from one of the Tumor Groups will act as co-chairs.

Decisions

Decisions will be made by a majority vote at meetings where a quorum is present. A quorum is one-half of regular membership plus one.

Meetings

Meetings will be held semi-annually and otherwise at the call of the Chair. The Chair will develop and circulate agendas for meetings and will call and conduct meetings.

Accountability

The CSA Quality Assurance Committee will be accountable to the ACB Provincial Quality Committee and will provide regular, not less than semi-annual, reports to that committee.

Expenses

The CSA honouraria will apply to surgeon committee members who are not salaried individuals; in the case of salaried persons, it is expected the employer will bear the cost of participation unless the CSA Quality Assurance Committee otherwise specifically agrees.

Delegation

The CSA program will fulfill management and administrative tasks/activities falling within the purview of the CSA Quality Assurance Committee.

Confidentiality

All discussions held during meetings of the CSA Quality Assurance Committee and all materials or reports prepared are to remain confidential except for reporting aggregated, summarized outcomes and recommendations.