Explore the reasons for getting involved in clinical audits, what it involves and get tips and things to consider.
Clinical audits compare current healthcare practice with guidelines for good practice. They help to assess whether patients are receiving the best quality of care and can result in improvements. You have the option to do an audit while at medical school. Once on your Foundation training programme, you have to do at least one audit a year.
Why do an audit?
Getting involved in an audit can be beneficial to your future applications for foundation and specialty training. It will:
show your commitment to a specialty (if you undertake an audit in that area)
be an opportunity to network with senior clinicians
give you the chance to explore a specialty, if you’re undecided about your future career path