title: Discussion of quality and audit in health.
abstract: Attaining quality health care has long been a social policy priority for countries internationally. This discussion considers issues important to understanding quality, and audit implementation in particular. The paper covers, first, the principles and practice of audit and, second, broader implementation issues, which together point to the further development of quality initiatives in health in the United Kingdom health care context. To close, the future of audit as a means of improving health care is elaborated.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health and Social Care, School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom. rhidian.hughes@ukonline.co.uk
authors.forename: Rhidian
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Higginson
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008330:Management Audit; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D013222:State Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration; D006113:United Kingdom