Audit Appraisal: An overview

S. Chockalingam

Orthopaedic Surgeon and Audit Core Committee, Kauvery Hospital, Trichy

Background

Change;

  • Continuous
  • Intermittent
  • Occasional

Continuous

Continuous incremental change is Kaizen

Intermittent

  1. When clearly what we are doing is good, we don’t change for the purpose of changing
  2. Even this can be audited to have a pat on our backs that we are providing high quality care to our patients

Limitations

  • Not Every Change is for the better
  • Hence we cannot change for the sake of c We need to justify
  • To justify, we need to demonstrate the reason for change.

Demonstration of need for change through Audit and Research

The Audit method: Someone has already done the hard work to show what is right through studies and research, and we believe it is right. Then we simply implement changes to our practice

Eg: WHO Surgery Check List

The Research Method: Either there is no research done earlier or you don’t agree with the conclusion of the existing literature. We want to find out what is right ourself and do the research method. This is indeed hard work

Eg: Dr Velmurugan Study.

Audit method

Clinical audit is the systematic analysis of the quality of healthcare, including the procedures for diagnosis, treatment and care, the use of resources and resulting outcome and quality of life for the patient. (NHS Executive 1993)

Clinical Audit is a process by which the change is done with the intention of change on the background of demonstrating the need for change.

Audit Cycle

  • This is the 150th meeting which started in 2009
  • Started as audit meeting in the basement, with two audit presentations
  • One was on ‘Pain chart audit on post-operative pain’.
  • Used to be a monthly meeting
  • The present format has been planned and executed from June 2023.
June 2023 to May 2024
Total meetings audited 21
Time period June 2023 to March 2024
Total number of attendees over 21 meetings 1016
Average number of attendees48
Range of attendee numbers is32 to 59

Attenders of the meetings

  • GMD
  • Medical admin
  • Consultants
  • DNB
  • MEM
  • DMOS
  • Physician assistants

Audit topics summary

Total of 35 presentations
Introduction to clinical audit1
Grand round1
Research2
Resource audit1
Process audit18
Outcome audit12
DepartmentAudit Topic
Anaesthesia departmentPost Spinal headache -A Real Concern. Post-Operative sore throat in GA- a concern
Audit DepartmentAn Introduction To Clinical Audit “How To”, Audit Appraisal
Blood Bank Adverse transfusion reactions
Cardiology departmentYoung ACS – Audit, Appropriate use of Cardiac biomarkers -Real world (Kauvery Scenario), Rotablation in PCI -- An audit
Critical careOutcome of ICU patients
DiabetologyPattern of needle disposal of insulin receiving diabetic patients
Duty Medical OfficerContinuous patient monitoring
ERTransfer Check - Checklist
ENTOutcome of orbital cellulitis in paediatric age group
General MedicineUse of Blood products and Steroids in Dengue patients - A clinical Audit
HaematologyChallenges in setting up a HSTC in a Tier 2 City - Our Experience
Medical AdminClinical Parameters awareness
Medical GastroEtiology, Clinical characteristics and outcome of acute pancreatitis patients -at Kauvery Hospital Cantonment.
MicrobiologyPrevalence of Streptococcus Pneumonia Serotypes in Kauvery Hospitals Trichy and its Clinical Relevance - An Audit HAI in ICU patients
Neonatology“Neonatal HLH", our experience
NephrologyAn outcome audit of AKI at Kauvery hospital
Neuro Critical CareOutcome of mechanically ventilated neurological patients
NeurologyThe Importance of Time In Hyper acute Stroke
Neuro SurgeryIntrathecal antibiotics in anterior skull base fractures" an audit Grand Rounds from Brain and Spine department
OG departmentA clinical Audit on Ectopic Pregnancy in a Tertiary care centre
OrthopaedicsPrerequisites of Day care Procedure in Orthopedics Audit Of Vitamin D Levels In Elderly Patients with fracture neck of femur
Paediatric Hemato OncologySurvivors Of Childhood Cancer
PaediatricsRationalise and restrict antibiotic use paediatric patients
RadiologyEfficacy of US guided biopsy using coaxial system in Breast lesions - An audit
Surgical GastroIntraperitoneal Instillation Of Levo bupivacine In Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy.
Surgical OncologyRate of Malignancy in Indeterminate Ovarian Cyst- An Process Audit.
UrologyManagement of Urethral Catheter related pain in Renal Transplant Recipients: Clinical Audit
Vascular SurgeryLimb salvage outcomes in extremity vascular trauma.
Departments presenting prior to end of May (Audit Year June to May)
Dental and facio maxillaryPlastic surgery
OphthamologyPaediaric surgery
PulmonologyCTVS

Audit Topics Departments Wise

  • All departments represented by original work by the respective team/ consultants at Kauvery Hospitals, Trichy
  • Few of the original work has been inter departmental work, which is commendable
  • We should be proud to have achieved this in the first year of implementing audit presentations

Audit Topics Publications wise

Total presentations35
Total Publications33
Percentage of Presentations vs Publications94%
Indexed journal Kauverian medical journal11%

Meeting Themes

1) Audit vs research2) Types of Audit
3) Research vs Audit4) Process vs outcome
5) Resource vs process 6) Clinical effectiveness
7) Clinical excellence 8) Neuro tertiary care
9) Appropriate use of antibiotics 10) Case Series
11) Quality of Care Audit12) Safety audit
13) Setting the standards14) Lessons Learnt
15) Recording, Justification16) Audit of The Unpleasant experience
17) More than Meets the Eye18) Moving towards the Desirable Outcomes
19) Kauvery, the Level 1 Trauma Centre20) Six honest serving men
21) Ear marked Dates for all Departments will be provided22) Each department audit program will be supported by the audit department
23) Data collection, analysis, statistical support and publication support24) Audit Department will archive presentations into video presentations
25) Aim to increase 11% indexed publications to close to 50%26) Audits will bring Original research at Kauvery

Take Home Message

  • Clinical Audit is now a standard in health care organisations and across a region or country
  • At Kauvery Hospital, we have conducted the departmental clinical audit program effectively
  • This audit of audit showed that we are on par with international standards
  • We shall have a program which will excel international standards next year.

Clinical Importance

Chronicling KAIZEN within our departments is also important

Clinical Audit can be used to document the KAIZEN changes made for Quality improvement.

Dr Chokalingam

Dr. S. Chockalingam
Orthopaedic Surgeon