title: Audit in clinical practice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Audit dates back to as early as 1750 BC when king Hammurabi of Babylon instigated audit for clinicians with regard to outcome. Clinical audit is a way of fi nding out whether we are doing what we should be doing. It also verifi es whether we are applying the best practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  An audit cycle involves setting-up of standards, measuring current practice, comparing results with standards (criteria), changing practice and re-auditing to make sure practice has improved
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A 'clinical audit' is a quality improvement process that seeks to improve patient care and clinical outcomes through a systematic review of care against explicit criteria, and the implementation of change. Changes are implemented at an individual, team or service level and a subsequent re-audit is done to confi rm improvement in health care delivery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The importance of audit in healthcare sector needs to be appreciated by the relevant authorities. The most frequently cited barrier to successful audit is the failure of organizations to provide suffi cient fund and protected time for healthcare teams.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, St George's Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: Prince Cheriyan
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Modayil
authors.forename: Ragesh Kuyyattil
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Panchikkeel
authors.forename: Nisha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Alex
keywords: Audit; Clinical practice