The role of hospital epidemiology is expanding. Today's hospital epidemiologists are being asked for advice by hospital administrators for matters outside of infection control. The latter relate to the optimal use of drugs, the level of health care provided by the employee health services and a number of issues related to the distribution and determinants of health care in the institution, all of which fall under the umbrella of quality assurance (QA). There is no doubt about the national preoccupation for monitoring health care and health care providers.