Quality Associates Performs Media Conversion And Video Archiving Services For The National Institute Of Child Health And Human Development

Quality Associates, Inc., an established provider of services and solutions for document management, imaging and archiving, is performing large-scale VHS to DVD media conversion and = video archiving services for the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). The NICHD is part of the National Institutes of Health, which is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Upon completion, the extensive project will include the conversion of more than 18,000 VHS tapes onto DVDs.

For the project, Quality Associates is performing all stages of the VHS to DVD conversion workflow process. The process includes initial input and preparation of the VHS tapes, video capture, labeling, and overall quality assurance. The tapes include research procedures conducted by investigators of the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, which is a comprehensive longitudinal study initiated by the NICHD that was planned in 1989/90 and began in 1991. The study was designed to examine the relationship between child care experiences and the characteristics of children's developmental outcomes, after taking into account family characteristics including the quality of mother-child interaction, father-child interaction and family interaction. The study was extended to allow investigations of the long term effects of child care, the effects of school and of after-school programs on the development of children through age 15.

Quality Associates first began the conversion work in March 2005 and is scheduled to complete the project in April 2006. The goal of the conversion project is to provide a turnkey solution that helps to ensure that research solicited by NICHD and conducted by investigators at NICHD and at grantee universities across the USA will be available for long-term use in a digital format that will not degrade with use in the way that analog tapes would deteriorate. The project is designed to comply with federal imaging and archiving mandates such as E-Government, Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), and the Health Information Portability & Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).

Scott Swidersky, director, Information Systems Division, Quality Associates, said, "Quality Associates specializes in providing content and document management solutions for the federal government, and we are pleased to be working with the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to complete a major archiving project that will help ensure that research data are properly archived and made available for long-term use. The DVD format is ideal for archiving, because of its ability to maintain a high level of data integrity."

Quality Associates is a GSA Federal Supply Service (FSS) contractor that has developed a strong track record in providing data conversion and archival services and systems for local, state, and federal government agencies.

About Quality Associates, Inc.
Quality Associates, Inc. (QAI) provides comprehensive, customized software, services and solutions that support all aspects of knowledge and content management. QAI's full range of integrated offerings include software applications, hardware, and systems for scanning and imaging; services for document and materials conversion, storage, and electronic archiving; systems integration and support; and strategic consulting for quality assurance. QAI maintains a broad client base that includes federal and state agencies; chemical and manufacturing companies; financial, accounting, and law firms; and medical research facilities. For more information, call (800) 488-3547 or visit www.qualityassociatesinc.com.