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Audit of outpatients: entering the loop
1Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee.
BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.)
|June 15, 1991
Summary
Routine data collection in outpatient pain clinics is feasible. Audits revealed variations in patient referrals and pain types, suggesting potential unmet needs or management issues requiring practice changes.
Area of Science:
- Pain Management
- Health Services Research
- Clinical Audit
Background:
- Outpatient pain clinics manage diverse patient populations.
- Current practices in pain clinics require systematic observation for quality improvement.
- A need exists for a reliable method to collect routine data in these settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a method for routine data collection in outpatient pain clinics.
- To observe and analyze current clinical practices and patient demographics.
Main Methods:
- A prospective questionnaire survey was administered by consultants.
- Data were collected over 29 weeks from October 1989 to May 1990.
- Ten outpatient pain clinics across Scotland and northern England participated.
Main Results:
- 2,241 patients were assessed, with 981 new referrals.
- Significant variation was observed in the proportion of new referrals (15%-34%) and their sources (e.g., GP referrals 22%-78%) across clinics.
- Variations in patient types and pain conditions (e.g., low back pain, post-surgical pain) were noted but not fully explained by referral patterns.
Conclusions:
- Routine data collection for clinical audit in outpatient pain clinics is achievable.
- Observed variations in practice suggest potential unmet patient needs or suboptimal management strategies.
- Findings indicate a need for potential adjustments in clinical practice within pain management services.