Identifying best practice principles of audit in health care.
Audit is recognised as a crucial component of improving the quality of patient care. Examples include giving patients safe, reliable and dignified care, enhancing their experiences and satisfaction by encouraging them to self-direct their recovery, and reducing the length of stay in hospital, readmission rates and delayed discharge. This article describes clinical audit, the stages involved in the process and the support required to achieve strategic objectives.
Patel
S
S
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, London. seraphimpatel@nhs.net
D026683:Advisory Committees; D019985:Benchmarking / Q000458:organization & administration*; D054869:Clinical Audit / Q000941:ethics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D054976:Clinical Governance / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003219:Confidentiality; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D033161:Government Regulation; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D017146:Models, Organizational; D024802:Nurse's Role; D010934:Planning Techniques; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013222:State Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006113:United Kingdom