Outpatient quality assurance monitor: constipation/encopresis

Quality Assurance (QA) programs assure that patients are getting the appropriate care, information, and support needed to produce better health outcomes. In this article, the authors describe monitoring nursing process by documentation of care in patients with constipation/encopresis. Longitudinal follow up to monitor patient outcomes completed the QA program. The process portion of the monitor was very successful, but the results of the outcome monitor were disappointing.