**3. Background**

In many instances, this question is raised. "Why is QA important in healthcare facilities"? A robust healthcare QA program enables immediate identification of patient care and safety issues. Besides, high-quality health services provide appropriate care, timely delivery, and responsiveness to users' needs, minimizing harm, and resource waste. Two components of quality management are quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC), with QA activities spanning the full quality system and QC being a subset of QA activities [2]. Seven measurable qualities of these services exist efficacy, safety, people-centeredness, timeliness, equity, integration, and efficiency. Additionally, "Ubuntu" should be accepted as a fundamental attribute in healthcare, representing humanity, hospitality, generosity, and empathy; all of which are necessary for providing patients and others with high-quality care [3]. An African traditional concept known as "Ubuntu" emphasizes the importance of taking patients' cultural backgrounds into account when practicing ethical medicine [4]. It encourages collective moral principles and unity. According to Oleribe et al. [5], the healthcare system comprises six core components: service delivery, healthcare workforce, information system,

*The Importance of Quality Assurance in Rural Public Healthcare Facilities DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.113992*

medicines and technology, financing, and leadership. All these need to be provided in line with the service standards that promote quality improvement in all healthcare facilities globally. However, due to constraints of poorly resourced public rural healthcare facilities mostly in developing countries, quality care is compromised [6].

Addressing the strain on African hospitals for critically ill patients requires capacity building and early interventions to reduce organ dysfunction progression and reduce strain on poorly resourced hospitals. The poor resources compromise the quality of patient care. Studies have shown that challenges faced by nurses working with constrained resources, erratic staffing schedules, and unpredictably high patient volume and acuity levels are common in rural settings [7, 8]. Similar problems affecting several states have been reported on the quality of care and patient safety at hospitals in under-resourced situations; according to a study conducted in Uganda by Kakyo [9], including issues patient-staff ratio is incredibly low, a lack of necessary medications and equipment, low salaries, and a high level of workload. Besides, the study conducted by Manyisa and van Aswegen [10] revealed that a lack of administrative equipment and well-trained professionals negatively impacts healthcare quality. The definitions of the concepts will be presented below.

#### **4. Definition of concepts**

#### **4.1 Health facilities**

Health facilities encompass various healthcare establishments such as hospitals, clinics, outpatient care centers, and specialized hospitals [11]. In this chapter, health facilities refer to all healthcare facilities that provide healthcare services.

#### **4.2 Public health**

All organized efforts, whether governmental or private, to prevent illness, enhance health, and increase lifespan are referred to as public health [12]. In this chapter, public health refers to measures used to promote quality of care.

#### **4.3 Rural health**

Rural health refers to the health of individuals living in rural areas, which are typically further from medical facilities and amenities compared to urban areas [13]. In this chapter, rural health refers to the health of individuals residing in rural areas, often located further from healthcare facilities.

#### **4.4 Quality**

According to Ref. [14], quality is described as measurable, effective, efficient, accessible, acceptable, equitable, and safe services. In this chapter, quality refers to achieving goals with available resources.

#### **4.5 Quality of care**

Quality of care refers to the effectiveness of health services in achieving desired health outcomes and aligning with current professional knowledge [15]. In this

chapter, quality of care refers to achieving clients' needs with available resources. This includes equity, accessibility, comprehensiveness, continuity, privacy, and confidentiality when providing quality patient care.

#### **4.6 Quality assurance**

Quality assurance is any systematic process of determining whether a product or service meets specified requirements [16]. In this chapter, QA in healthcare encompasses the activities and series of measures that are designed to ensure continuous improvement in the quality of patient care.

#### **4.7 Quality control**

Quality control is the process that ensures that the stipulated standards are adhered to always [17]. In this chapter, QC means monitoring healthcare provided, healthcare providers, and resources to improve or maintain quality standards.

The author used desk research methodology technique for compiling and analyzing data from secondary sources that are easily accessible such as books, articles, reports, academic publications, and other materials that were obtained online [18]. The author employed a desk study as an initial appraisal process that gathers and reviews existing site information to guide the subsequent site search to discuss the importance of quality assurance in rural public healthcare facilities.
