title: Frameworks for improvement: clinical audit, the plan-do-study-act cycle and significant event audit.
abstract: This is the first in a series of articles about quality improvement tools and techniques. We explore common frameworks for improvement, including the model for improvement and its application to clinical audit, plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles and significant event analysis (SEA), examining the similarities and differences between these and providing examples of each.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Institute of Public Health, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 2SR, UK. sjg67@medschl.cam.ac.uk
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gillam
authors.forename: A Niroshan
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Siriwardena
mesh_terms: D054869:Clinical Audit / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D017146:Models, Organizational; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D058996:Quality Improvement / Q000592:standards