What is quality assurance in an animal environment primarily applied to?

Quality assurance in an animal environment is fundamentally oriented around systems used to operate the facility and provide for the animals. This approach ensures that all procedures, processes, and operations adhered to in the facility meet established standards of care and regulations. The aim of quality assurance is to cultivate a safe, effective, and humane environment for the animals, as well as ensuring that the operations are conducive to fulfilling the primary goals of the institution, which include animal welfare and scientific integrity.

By focusing on the systems that underlie the daily operations, quality assurance practices help to identify and mitigate risks, enhance operational efficiency, and maintain compliance with regulations. This could involve reviewing housing conditions, handling procedures, and overall health management protocols, ensuring that animals are cared for properly and that their environmental needs are met.

While veterinary care protocols, animal enrichment activities, and research compliance monitoring are all crucial components of animal care and management, they are typically subsets of the broader quality assurance framework that focuses on the comprehensive systems in place. Quality assurance encompasses all aspects of care, but is primarily aimed at the operational systems that support animal welfare and research objectives.