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An interdistrict audit of vascular surgery
1Department of Public Health, Brighton General Hospital, East Sussex, UK.
Quality Assurance in Health Care : the Official Journal of the International Society for Quality Assurance in Health Care
|January 1, 1991
Summary
This vascular surgery audit collected data on patient pathways and outcomes. Preliminary findings reveal treatment effectiveness and highlight challenges in data collection for quality improvement.
Area of Science:
- Vascular Surgery
- Health Services Research
- Clinical Audit
Background:
- Vascular surgery services require robust data for quality assessment.
- There is a need to evaluate current practices in vascular patient care.
- An audit facilitates the review of process and outcome criteria.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compile data on new vascular patients within three UK health authorities.
- To create an accurate database of process/outcome criteria for quality measures.
- To facilitate the review of current vascular surgery practices.
Main Methods:
- Data collection from June 1990 to March 1992 using proformas.
- Registration of 503 patients on a dedicated database.
- Analysis of patient pathways including referrals, investigations, and treatments.
Main Results:
- 28% of initial assessment patients underwent arteriography.
- 9% of patients required immediate hospital admission.
- At follow-up, 38% of presenting symptoms were cured, 27% unchanged, and 5% worsened.
Conclusions:
- The project provides insights into vascular surgery patient management.
- Preliminary results offer quality indicators for vascular services.
- Practical challenges in data collection were identified during the audit.