Setting up clinical audit in Gondar Hospital, Ethiopia

To introduce clinical audit into a referral hospital in Ethiopia, and whether clinical standards can be improved as a result.

Clinical audit is a method of checking that patient care is delivered to the highest possible level by health care professionals. Practice is measured against agreed guidelines, and is then adjusted to meet the required standard.

Audit was introduced into Gondar University Hospital. All departments took part including Paediatrica, Obstetrics, Medicine, Surgery, Nursing, and the Laboratory. A Lead Clinician was nominated and an audit clerk appointed Hospital staff received training. Topics were chosen according to need, for example: obstructed labour in Obstetrics; management of acute diarrhoea in children; and medical record-keeping.

20 audits have been commenced--7 are completed 11 in progress and 2 are awaiting analysis. Excellent clinical practice has been highlighted such as treatment of common paediatric emergencies and documentation in patient records. Areas for improvement were discovered such as glucose-testing on the children's ward. Adjustments will be made to current practice where indicated by audit results, thus improving patient care. Local guidelines have been written to further ensure adherence to evidence-based clinical care.

It is possible to set up audit in a busy Ethiopian hospital, and use the results to improve the standard of patient care.