Significant event audit in practice: a preliminary study

While well described and promoted as a useful activity, there remains a paucity of evidence on the process and experience of significant event audit (SEA) in primary care. To date, the most comprehensive evaluation of the process has been produced by comparing SEA with conventional audit. The current study intends to contribute to the debate by examining the attitudes and perceptions of a range of primary care staff who have been involved in the process.

The aim of this study was to identify participants' perceptions of the benefits and problems associated with SEA in the context of primary care, and to derive suggestions which might improve the process of SEA.

Semi-structured interviews of 12 participants from a variety of primary care disciplines were conducted, using grounded theory to analyse the results.

A set of six perceptions and seven recommendations for the facilitation of SEA were produced.

SEA constitutes a powerful tool, which can contribute to team building, enhanced communication and improved patient care, and represents a vital contributor to the development of clinical governance in primary care. However, its implementation and sustenance require sensitive handling for optimal benefit and to minimize difficulties. Our research has enabled us to propose suggestions to facilitate these processes.