Audit                                                                                                                        

History

"The aim of medical audit in general practice is to improve the quality of service provided to patients registered with the practice. It includes any thing which contributes to the smooth running of the practice and reduction of stress in the members of the primary health care team as well as purely clinical matters". (West Sussex MAAG).

It involves setting acceptable standards, systematically gathering data to find out what is actually happening and whether standards are being achieved and if not implementing changes and then reviewing.

Current

Sue Davidson who holds the certificate of clinical audit is the audit co-ordinator for Cuckfield Surgery and works alongside Dr. M Harvey on many audits. Recent audit topics include counselling, epilepsy, asthma, alcohol, immunisation, eczema and M.I

An audit of the menopause clinic run by Sue Davidson together with an audit of the taking of HRT by women who have had hysterectomy are being planned.

Conclusions

Clinical audit is an essential tool in evaluating clinical effectiveness. It is a process designed to improve patient care, which has become the accepted method by which professionals can measur e their working practice as compared to what is believed to be good practice.

Recommendations

Sue Davidson and Sue Cowdy are undertaking further training in clinical audit in order to support and evaluate the clinical projects and changes being brought a bout by the introduction of the integrated nursing team and will act as a resource to other team members.

Reference: Medical Audit - A Purposeful Process. West Sussex Medical Audit Advisory Group