AUDITING OPHTHALMOLOGY AUDITS

Medical audit is now a well-established part of the routine of ophthal mology departments. Accomplishing a complete audit is a complex task a nd its effectiveness depends on how it is performed, In order to evalu ate the procedure in our department a retrospective analysis of 18 aud its was carried out with particular reference to the level, objectives , beneficial effects, and effects on current practice, Our practice wa s critically analysed using these factors, One audit fulfilled the cri teria for a full audit, Eleven (60%) were partial or potential and six (30%) were an attempt in planning an audit, The majority omitted plan s for implementing change or targets for future assessment. Seven had educational benefit, There was little effect on patient care, cost-eff ectiveness or communication, Medical audit can be clinically effective . educational and stimulating, Failure to complete all stages affects the outcome, This study identifies the difficulties involved in perfor ming complete audits and suggests improving the procedure by auditing audits on a regular basis.