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Medical Audit Stroke
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Veröffentlicht: | 10. Juli 2012 |
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Background: Dutch neurologists legally have to participate every five years in a mandatory audit. Audit is defined as a peer review by specially trained neurologists where they evaluate the circumstances under which they perform their profession. The Audit is based on well defined criteria defined by the Dutch Association of Neurologists. The purpose is to provide or stimulate optimal health care to patients.
Context (Methods): The Audit was recently improved by developing a medical audit based on the guideline ‘Stroke’. A medical audit is defined as a systematic and critical analysis of the quality of provided care. The work group defined the key recommendations of the guideline to include in the medical audit. After consensus was reached, the relevant ‘elements of care’ were identified. Based on these elements questions were added to the medical audit.
Description of best practice: Before the actual Audit the neurology department in the hospital has to take a random sample of 40 stroke patients. The care given to each patient is scored on the medical audit. The results show if the patients received care according to the guideline. These results are discussed within the neurology department before the audit starts and a ‘plan for improvement’ is developed. During the actual Audit this plan is discussed with the external audit team.
Lessons for guideline developers: By following this method acceptance, knowledge, and usage of the guideline ‘Stroke’ by neurologists is enhanced. Results from the audits can be used to update the guideline ‘Stroke’ in future.