The New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute issued a standard for quality management in HIV ambulatory care programs, applicable to all HIV health care facilities in New York State.

The quality program standards promote the development of programs that assess and improve clinical performance, evaluate capacity for quality improvement, and provide feedback for clinicians for the purpose of education and improving care.

An effective HIV quality improvement program includes the following components:

• The infrastructure of the quality program should be fully described in the quality plan, with a clear indication of responsibilities and accountability, and elaboration of processes for ongoing evaluation and assessment.
• Staff should be actively involved in the HIV Quality Program and its QI activities. Participation in the quality program should be part of job expectations. Provisions should be made for ongoing education of staff about quality improvement.
• Performance measurement should include clearly defined indicators that address clinical, case management, and other services as prioritized by the program. A plan for follow-up of results should be outlined.
• QI activities should be based on performance data results. Specific QI projects should be undertaken which include action steps and a mechanism for integrating change into routine activities.
• Consumers should be included in quality-related activities.