Experience with a Clinical Audit Requirement for Interns in the Emergency Department
Ryan Windish1,2,3, Douglas Morel1,2,4, Catherine E Forristal1,2
1Emergency Department, Redcliffe Hospital, Redcliffe, QLD, Australia.
Background:
The clinical audit is an important evaluation tool to ensure quality assurance. A clinical audit requirement for interns during their emergency department (ED) term may be a valuable educational activity.
Methods:
The Emergency Audit Initiative (EAI) Program was initiated at Redcliffe Hospital in January 2018. Interns, who were paired with a staff specialist audit mentor, chose a topic of interest and carried out a clinical audit during their 10-week ED term. At the end of term, interns formally presented audit findings in a grand round setting. Interns and staff specialists were surveyed at the end of the intern year regarding aspects of the program. Surveys aimed to assess: (1) value of the program as an educational activity, (2) availability of time and resources to conduct the audit, and (3) perceived impact on practice.
Results:
During the first year of the program, 27 clinical audits were carried out. 16 interns (59%) and 8 staff specialists (57%) responded to the surveys. Interns and staff specialists reported that the audit was a valuable educational experience (88% and 100%). Interns also reported that they had adequate time (94%) and resources (81%) to conduct the audit. Interns and staff specialists however reported only a modest impact on clinical practice because of the audit program.
Conclusions:
Our experience with the EAI program suggests that incorporating a clinical audit requirement into the ED term is possible. Interns and staff specialists reported it to be a beneficial educational and professional development activity.
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