Background: Promoting professional competence, providing quality care, and improving health care processes are issues of major importance in Air Force Optometry as well as the entire Air Force Medical Service.
Methods: Clinical Quality Management is the mechanism through which these issues are addressed. Without a Quality Management Program, accreditation by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations is impossible.
Results: The two main components of Clinical Quality Management; the credentials/privileging process and quality assessment and improvement, are presented to discuss how they are used in Air Force Optometry.
Conclusion: Clinical Quality Management is not a perfect management method, but it does force professionals and organizations to constantly assess themselves in order to effect improvements.