Clinical audit is the process by which healthcare organisations seek to improve patient care and outcomes through systematic review of care against explicit criteria and the subsequent implementation of change, if necessary. Clinical audit is part of the broader concept of ‘Clinical Governance’ – a system by which healthcare organisations ensure they are accountable for continuously improving the quality of their services as well as ensuring that they have clear lines of accountability.
Good governance and audit are, therefore, the foundation upon which almost every aspect of a healthcare organisation’s clinical operations are built, including the clinical effectiveness of its services, its research activities, the building of patient trust, risk management and education and training. No healthcare organisation can achieve JCI accreditation, for instance, without having an effective system of clinical audit and governance embedded within both its operating systems and its culture.
The aim of this course is to enable delegates to understand the five key stages of the clinical audit process and the central role it plays in effective clinical governance and risk management. The course goes on to look in depth at the tools and techniques of risk management and how it should be used to assure patient safety and minimise the potential legal liabilities of a healthcare organisation.
The key success factor for clinical audit is that performance must be reviewed to ensure that what should be done is being done, and if it is not, to provide a framework to enable improvements to be made. The course covers:
• Identifying The Problem Or Issue – the factors that should influence this, such as where national and/or international standards and guidelines exist, where problems have been encountered in practice, what patients have complained about and where there are particularly high risks
• Defining Criteria And Standards – so that you know the purpose of the audit, the questions you are trying to answer, the expected compliance for each criteria and what should happen as a result of non-compliance
• Data Collection – to ensure that the data collected are precise and that only essential information is collected, details of who and what is to be audited – and over what time period – must be established at the outset, together with sample sizes and ethical issues around confidentiality
• Comparing Performance With Criteria And Standards – assuring that an appropriate analysis is carried out and a clear picture created as to whether standards are being met. Where standards are not being met, there may be improvement opportunities
• Implementing Change – after clinical audit results have been published, what happens next? How do you reach agreement on recommendations for change and create an action plan? How do you ensure someone will be responsible for that action and agree a timescale for its completion? When should you repeat an audit to see whether improvements are being sustained?
The course also includes detailed consideration of the principles of good risk management. It looks in depth at :
• Identifying and prioritising strategically important risks using techniques such as Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and Failure Mode Effect Analysis (FMEA)
• Assigning risk ownership to various groups within a healthcare organisation to promote consistent risk assessments, responses and accountability across the organization
• Providing analytical tools for future scenario planning that helps the organisation to predict and prepare for potential risk developments
Training Method And Style
The course will be highly interactive, involving a mixture of learning techniques including Powerpoint presentation to the class, role-playing and exercises carried out in small groups. You will work both as part of a small team and individually just as you do in your day-to-day roles. Much of your learning will come from real life case studies from which invaluable lessons can be taken and applied directly to the challenge of implementing effective healthcare audit and risk management processes in your organisation.