Rapid audit of clinical outcome and cost by computer

A method to audit clinical outcome and cost was reliable over 17 years and 2000 patients. Data gathered concerning 60 clinicians and 600 patients by a pilot computer system showed that inpatients with obsessive-compulsive disorder were more severely disabled than outpatients with the same disorder, and took twice the therapist time to treat. It was also found that some clinicians obtained three times the improvement per hour than did other clinicians with similar patients in the same unit. Outcome norms are accumulated for particular types of patient and treatment. A new computerised clinical audit system robust enough for general release will be available soon.