Clinical audits must improve to benefit patients, providers, and doctors

Tantrige, Priyan

doi:10.1136/bmj.g4534

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 1 publication

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Clinical audit allows the identification of weaknesses and facilitates improvements. As such it is the cornerstone of quality improvement processes in healthcare and mandatory for ensuring patient safety [ 28 , 29 ]. Contrary to current local opinion, it would increase trust in the healthcare system [ 30 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maternal mortality in the Gaza strip: a look at causes and solutions

Böttcher

Abu-El-Noor

Aldabbour

et al. 2018

BMC Pregnancy Childbirth

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundMaternal mortality is an important health indicator for the overall health of a population. This study assessed the causes and contributing factors to maternal mortality that occurred in the Gaza-Strip between July 2014 and June 2015.MethodsThis is a retrospective study that used both quantitative and qualitative data. The data were collected from available medical records, investigation reports, death certificates, and field interviews with healthcare professionals as well as families.ResultsA total of 18 maternal mortalities occurred in Gaza between 1st July 2014 and June 30th 2015. Age at time of death ranged from 18 to 44 years, with 44.4% occurring before the age of 35 years. About 22.2% were primiparous, while 55.6% were grand multiparous women. The most common causes of death were sepsis, postpartum haemorrhage, and pulmonary embolism.The most striking deficiency was very poor medical documentation which was observed in 17 cases (94%). In addition, poor communication between doctors and women and their families or among healthcare teams was noticed in nine cases (50%). These were repeatedly described by families during interviews. Further aspects surfacing in many interviews were distrust by families towards clinicians and poor understanding of health conditions by women. Other factors included socioeconomic conditions, poor antenatal attendance and the impact of the 2014 war.Low morale among medical staff was expressed by most interviewed clinicians, as well as the fear of being blamed by families and management in case of adverse events. Substandard care and lack of appropriate supervision were also found in some cases.ConclusionsThis study revealed deficiencies in maternity care, some of which were linked to the socioeconomic situation and the 2014 war. Others show poor implementation of clinical guidelines and lack of professional skills in communication and teamwork. Specialised training should be offered for clinicians in order to improve these aspects. However, the most striking deficiency was the extremely poor documentation, reflecting a lack of awareness among clinicians regarding its importance. Local policymakers should focus on systematic application of quality improvement strategies in order to achieve greater patient safety and further reductions in the maternal mortality rate.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maternal mortality in the Gaza strip: a look at causes and solutions

Böttcher

Abu-El-Noor

Aldabbour

et al. 2018

BMC Pregnancy Childbirth

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Whilst every NHS provider in England has a legal obligation and financial incentive to audit its performance, the process has been criticised for being ineffective, not addressing the right questions, and disenfranchising clinicians (trainees in particular). 16 We would argue that the effective use of successive audits, used as a long-term quality improvement (QI) tool refutes this argument. As we demonstrate, regular (clinical and dose) audit cycles provide the foundation for both QI and QA in CCT; can be easily performed by all departments; and, with the correct infrastructure, can to a large degree be automated.…”

Section: Benchmarking and Continuous Auditing Of Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

Quality assurance in cardiovascular CT: a practical guide

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Cardiovascular computed tomography (CCT) is a cutting-edge imaging technique providing important, non-invasive, diagnostic information. Concerns exist regarding radiation exposure to patient populations, but achieving optimal image quality at the lowest doses can be challenging. This guide provides practical advice about how quality can be assured in any CCT unit or radiology department. Illustrated by real-world vignettes and data analysis from our own experience, we highlight a multidisciplinary team approach to each stage of the patient journey, the effectiveness of regular dose audit overseen by a CT optimisation group, and the importance of underused systolic scanning techniques, in order to drive significant dose reduction without loss of image quality or clinical confidence.

show abstract

“…According to Young et al (2011), a clinical audit is one of the best methods that health care organizations can use to understand and ensure the quality of services delivered [ 6 ]. Tantrige (2014) indicate that clinical audits help to identify gaps during patient care to improve the quality of care [ 7 ]. Moreover, clinical audits can inform the development of policies and guidelines based on identified gaps in clinical practice, environment and system failure.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, clinical audits can inform the development of policies and guidelines based on identified gaps in clinical practice, environment and system failure. More importantly, interventions driven from clinical audits empower health care professionals to provide quality health care services [ 7 ]. A clinical audit provides an opportunity for health care professionals to share ideas and use problem-solving skills that can improve the current system of health care in South Africa.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health System- and Patient-Related Factors Associated with COVID-19 Mortality among Hospitalized Patients in Limpopo Province of South Africa’s Public Hospitals

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

South Africa has recorded the highest COVID-19 morbidity and mortality compared to other African regions. Several authors have linked the least amount of death in African countries with under-reporting due to poor health systems and patients’ health-seeking behaviors, making the use of clinical audits more relevant for establishing the root causes of health problems, and improving quality patient care outcomes. Clinical audits, such as mortality audits, have a significant role in improving quality health care services, but very little is documented about the outcomes of the audits. Therefore, the study sought to determine the health care system and patient-related factors associated with COVID-19 mortality by reviewing the COVID-19 inpatient mortality audit narration reports. This was a retrospective qualitative research approach of all hospitalized COVID-19 patients, resulting in death between the first and second COVID-19 pandemic waves. Thematic analysis employed inductive coding to identify themes from mortality audits from all 41 public hospitals in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Four themes with seventeen sub-themes emerged: sub-standard emergency medical care provided, referral system inefficiencies contributed to delays in access to health care services, the advanced age of patients with known and unknown comorbidities, and poor management of medical supplies and equipment, as a health system and patient-related factors that contributed to the high mortality of COVID-19 patients. There is a need to routinely conduct clinical audits to identify clinical challenges and make recommendations for health promotion, risk communication, and community engagement. We recommend reviewing and expanding the scope of practice for health-care providers during epidemics and pandemics that include aspects such as task-shifting.

show abstract

Clinical audits must improve to benefit patients, providers, and doctors

Cited by 3 publications

References 1 publication

Maternal mortality in the Gaza strip: a look at causes and solutions

Maternal mortality in the Gaza strip: a look at causes and solutions

Quality assurance in cardiovascular CT: a practical guide

Health System- and Patient-Related Factors Associated with COVID-19 Mortality among Hospitalized Patients in Limpopo Province of South Africa’s Public Hospitals

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About