Chapter 11 - ETC

Quality improvement is:

• a diligent effort by supervisors to continuously tell employees what they are doing wrong

• the creation of protocols, procedures, and policies designed to reduce variance

• a systematic and continuous process of measurement, feedback, and educations designed to improve human performance

• monitoring and evaluating performance systematically to ensure the desired standards of quality are being met

Quality assurance is:

• diligent effort by supervisors to continuously tell employees what they are doing wrong

• the creation of protocols, procedures, and policies designed to reduce variance

• a systematic and continuous process of measurement, feedback, and educations designed to improve human performance

• monitoring and evaluating performance systematically to ensure the desired standards of quality are being met

Quality assurance cannot separate what is thought to be happening from what is really happening.

• True

• False

Quality assurance is the “measurement” part of quality improvement.

• True

• False

Quality improvement programs use quality assurance findings to:

• identify the poorest performing employee in order to punish them

• develop strategies and training to help employees improve

• reduce employment redundancies

• post individual case review feedback for everyone to see

IAED ETC certification validates that you have the basic knowledge and skills necessary for an entry-level position in an emergency communication center.

• True

• False

Quality assurance specialists listen to audio recordings of randomly selected calls and:

• compare each call taker’s performance with specific protocol and customer service performance standards.

• publicly post every ETC error that is detected

• try to catch the ETC making mistakes

• make fun of every ETC error that is discovered

Continuing dispatch education (CDE) should be an integral component of any emergency communication center’s QA/QI program.

• True

• False

Continuing dispatch education (CDE) should provide ETCs with:

• more of what they already know

• overtime hours

• a day off from work

• ongoing opportunities for practice and feedback