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Panning for gold: sifting through chart audit data for patient outcomes
1Graduate Department of Nursing, College of Nursing, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ 07079, USA.
Outcomes Management for Nursing Practice
|February 6, 1999
Summary
Patients made health improvements, but a clear pattern wasn't visible after 6 months of clinic visits. A systematic chart audit was used to analyze patient data and improve healthcare outcomes research.
Area of Science:
- Health Services Research
- Patient Outcomes Analysis
Background:
- Patient health improvements were observed after a 6-month clinic intervention.
- However, a distinct pattern of health status improvement was not readily apparent.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the process of conducting a chart audit for systematic data collection.
- To analyze demographic and outcome data from patient records.
- To discuss the utility of chart audits in generating research questions for outcomes evaluation.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective chart audit was conducted.
- Demographic and outcome data were systematically gathered and analyzed.
Main Results:
- While patients demonstrated positive health changes, a clear, identifiable pattern of overall health status improvement was not evident from random observation.
- The chart audit provided a structured approach to data collection.
Conclusions:
- Chart audits are valuable for systematically collecting patient data.
- This methodology can inform the development of healthcare outcomes research and improve the effectiveness of care.
- A model for health care outcome research is proposed.