HQIP launches ‘Local Clinical Audit Handbook for Physicians' in latest clinical audit engagement drive

9 August 2010

Revalidation, GMC requirements, PROMs and QIPP agenda all covered in free guide for clinicians to create best practice clinical audit systems and drive healthcare improvement

The Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) today unveils the latest part of its ongoing strategy to engage doctors and other clinicians in the clinical audit process - a free, easy-to-understand reference guide launched in partnership with the Royal College of Physicians (RCP).

The 46-page digital guide is specifically designed as a user-friendly tool, which clinicians can consult as necessary. Areas covered include clinical audit in relation to revalidation, GMC requirements, PROMs, NICE standards and the QIPP agenda.

The guide begins by establishing why clinical audit should be front of mind for physicians and how it can help them and their patients. This has been driven even further up the healthcare agenda by Health Secretary Andrew Lansley and the ‘Liberating the NHS' White Paper, which singles out the importance of a clear clinical audit strategy in putting patients at the heart of healthcare improvement.

Local Clinical Audit Handbook for Physicians - see the full guide >>

The second half of the guide is dedicated to putting clinical audit into practice. This sets out how physicians should prepare for clinical audit, methodological guidance as to how to carry out audits and a final section devoted to ‘Making and Sustaining Improvements in Care'.

The publication is the latest in an ongoing drive by HQIP to alert all clinicians to the healthcare and organisational benefits of clinical audit and enable them to quickly create best practice audit processes and act upon results. Already this year, HQIP - the organisation charged with driving best practice in healthcare quality in England and Wales, particularly with reference to clinical audit - has produced detailed guidance including its ‘Guide to Involving Junior Doctors in Clinical Audit' and has been in consultation with the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) focusing on clinical audit as part of revalidation.

"This handbook is another impressive addition to HQIP's roster of support materials to help improve the quality of audit," HQIP Chief Executive Robin Burgess. "This book, although written with the RCP, is for doctors in all specialties - and both senior and junior ones. Every doctor should make use of this book to stimulate their audit practice - and that of staff they supervise. It will be of particular value to junior doctors."

‘Local Clinical Audit Handbook for Physicians' was written by Dr Jonathan Potter (Clinical Director of the Clinical Effectiveness and Evaluation Unit at the RCP), Claire Fuller (Consultant Dermatologist, East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust and Chair of Audit and Clinical Standards, British Association of Dermatologist) and Martin Ferris, Head of Clinical Audit and Effectiveness at NHS Sheffield and member of the National Clinical Audit Advisory Group (NCAAG).

In his foreword to the handbook, RCP Clinical Vice President Dr Michael Cheshire comments:

"Clinical audit is a crucial tool for upholding standards and achieving improved care. Local clinical audit has enormous clinical potential which to date has been, to a large extent, untapped. This handbook provides a stimulus and a means whereby physicians can maximise the full benefits of audit. While all are familiar with data collection, the other critical phases of the audit cycle are equally important. We need to enthuse and enable physicians to reflect on audit findings, inter-relate with patients and managers in devising methods for improving care, take a lead role in driving improvements and ensure repeat data collection to demonstrate change."

Local Clinical Audit Handbook for Physicians - see the full guide >>