Medical audit

Medical audit is a systematic process of evaluating the quality of medical care, against clearly defined standards. It is a part of the larger process of Quality Assurance in healthcare, and is often used to identify areas of practice that can be improved.

Definition

A medical audit is defined as a systematic and critical analysis of the quality of medical care, including the procedures used for diagnosis and treatment, the use of resources, and the resulting outcome and quality of life for the patient. The audit may be conducted by internal staff or by external bodies such as the Healthcare Commission or the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).

Purpose

The purpose of a medical audit is to monitor and improve the quality of healthcare provided. This is achieved by identifying areas of practice that are not meeting standards, and implementing changes to improve these areas. The audit process also provides a means of accountability for healthcare providers, ensuring that they are providing the best possible care for their patients.

Process

The medical audit process typically involves the following steps:

1. Identification of a specific area of practice to be audited.
2. Development of clear, measurable standards or criteria against which the current practice can be compared.
3. Collection and analysis of data related to the current practice.
4. Comparison of the current practice against the defined standards.
5. Identification of any areas of practice that are not meeting the standards.
6. Implementation of changes to improve areas of practice that are not meeting the standards.
7. Re-audit to ensure that the changes have resulted in improvement.

Types of Medical Audit

There are several types of medical audit, including:

1. Clinical audit: This involves the review of clinical practice against agreed standards. It is often carried out by healthcare professionals themselves, and is used to improve patient care.
2. Process audit: This involves the review of the processes used in healthcare delivery. It is often carried out by management, and is used to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
3. Outcome audit: This involves the review of the outcomes of healthcare delivery. It is often carried out by researchers, and is used to improve patient outcomes.

Benefits

Medical audits have several benefits, including:

1. Improved patient care: By identifying areas of practice that are not meeting standards, medical audits can lead to improvements in patient care.
2. Increased accountability: Medical audits provide a means of holding healthcare providers accountable for the care they provide.
3. Improved efficiency and effectiveness: By reviewing the processes used in healthcare delivery, medical audits can lead to improvements in efficiency and effectiveness.

Challenges

Despite their benefits, medical audits also present several challenges, including:

1. Time and resource constraints: Conducting a medical audit can be time-consuming and resource-intensive.
2. Resistance to change: Healthcare providers may resist changes to their practice that are identified through the audit process.
3. Data quality: The quality of the data used in the audit process can impact the accuracy of the audit findings.

See also

• Clinical governance
• Healthcare quality
• Patient safety

Medical audit Resources
Latest articles Most recent articles Ongoing trials	Wikipedia