1
What is a clinical audit?
A clinical audit measures whether current practice meets a defined standard. You identify a gap between what should happen and what does happen, then drive change to close that gap.
Critical first stepRegister your audit with your trust audit department before collecting any data. This protects you legally and ensures your audit is valid for portfolio evidence.
What is the difference between an audit and a QIP?⌄
A clinical audit measures compliance against an existing standard. A Quality Improvement Project uses PDSA cycles to make iterative improvements. Both are valuable for your portfolio.
What standard should I audit against?⌄
Your standard must be based on published evidence. Good sources include NICE guidelines, royal college guidelines, SIGN guidelines, and local trust policies. The standard must be measurable.
2
Step by step guide
1
Choose your topic
Identify an area where practice may not meet the standard. Talk to your registrar for ideas. The best topics come from clinical observations.
2
Find your standard
Search NICE or your relevant royal college. Your standard should be specific and measurable with a percentage target.
3
Register with your trust
Submit your proposal to the trust clinical audit department before collecting data. Non-negotiable.
4
Collect your data
Design a simple data collection form. Aim for 30 to 50 patients minimum. Retrospective review of records is usually sufficient.
5
Analyse and present
Calculate compliance rates. Present findings to the department. Identify specific reasons for non-compliance.
6
Implement change and re-audit
Propose specific achievable changes. Return after 3 to 6 months to re-audit. A completed cycle is significantly more valuable.
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Video walkthrough coming soon
A complete video guide for visual and auditory learners.
Coming soon3
Checklist
Click each item to mark complete.
Topic identified with clinical rationale
Standard from published guidance with citation
Audit registered with trust before data collection
Data collection form designed
Adequate sample collected (minimum 30)
Compliance rates calculated
Findings presented to clinical team
Reasons for non-compliance identified
Actionable changes proposed
Re-audit date planned
Test your understanding
5 questions on the key concepts.
1. What must you do before collecting audit data?
2. What makes a good audit standard?
3. What is a completed audit cycle?
4. Minimum sample size to aim for?
5. What does PDSA stand for?