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Clinical audit and organizational audit in palliative care
1Health Services Research Unit, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Cancer Surveys
|January 1, 1994
Summary
Critical appraisal in palliative medicine, including clinical audit tools, is established. Further development and piloting of organizational audits are needed, considering resource constraints for cost-effectiveness.
Area of Science:
- Palliative Medicine
- Healthcare Management
- Quality Improvement
Background:
- Palliative medicine has a history of critical appraisal since the 1970s hospice movement.
- Established methods and audit tools exist, particularly for clinical audit.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the history and current state of critical appraisal in palliative medicine.
- To identify recommended practical approaches and areas for development in clinical and organizational audits.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing methods and audit tools in palliative care.
- Discussion of practical approaches like the Support Team Assessment Schedule and Edmonton Symptom Assessment System.
- Exploration of clinical and organizational audit developments.
Main Results:
- Clinical audit methods are well-developed, with practical tools recommended.
- Organizational audit is less developed, with questions regarding the scientific basis of standards.
- Piloting is essential to determine the true value of organizational audits.
Conclusions:
- Clinical audit advancements may lead to patient management algorithms.
- Organizational audits require further development and evaluation.
- Future audits must be cost-effective, considering time and resource limitations.