Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of medical quality improvement in the cosmetic injection industry in Chengdu.

Methods Based on the Improvement Goals for the Plastic and Aesthetic Medicine Specialty issued by the National Plastic and Aesthetic Medicine Quality Control Center, the Chengdu Special Supervision Group for Cosmetic Injection Procedures, guided by the "structure-process-outcome" quality control heory, has formulated the Special Research Questionnaire for Cosmetic Injection Procedures in Chengdu Medical Aesthetic Institutions. Starting from 2022, investigations were conducted in medical institutions performing cosmetic injection procedures in Chengdu. Data were fed back to the institutions, followed by targeted supervision and training, forming a comprehensive "investigation-supervision-training" model. This study selected data from 2022 to 2024 and analyzed the improvement effectiveness by comparing the detection rates of related issues. The 2022 data represent the baseline after the Goals for the Plastic and Aesthetic Medicine Specialty were issued but before targeted supervision; based on the 2022 findings, targeted supervision and improvement were implemented in 2023 and 2024.

Results A total of 378 medical aesthetic institutions were surveyed, including 58 plastic surgery hospitals, 111 medical aesthetic outpatient departments, and 209 medical aesthetic clinics. Among them, 43 institutions were surveyed in 2022, 287 in 2023, and 48 in 2024. From 2022 to 2024, overall compliance regarding institutional and personnel qualifications was good, with low detection rates for related issues. Compared with 2022, the quality of cosmetic injection medical services significantly improved in 2023 and 2024. The detection rates of non-compliance or substandard practices significantly decreased in areas including quality and safety management of injectable fillers for aesthetic purposes, quality and safety management of injectable botulinum toxin type A, medical quality management of injection procedures, injection medical record management, and emergency management. The improvement in many indicators was more pronounced in 2024(P < 0.05 or P < 0.017).

Conclusions Under the multi-departmental "comprehensive investigation-supervision-training" model adopted by the Chengdu Plastic and Aesthetic Medicine Quality Control Center, the medical quality of cosmetic injection procedures in the city showed continuous improvement from 2022 to 2024, with a significant downward trend in the detection rates of relevant non-compliant issues. The reported incidence of injection-related complications during the same period was lower than the national target. This model provides a reference for implementing effective quality control in the plastic and aesthetic medicine specialty.