Clinical audit

• Clinical audit is a cyclical process of reviewing clinical performance, refining practice as a result and measuring the outcomes against agreed standards
• Clinical audit is an essential component of evidence-based clinical practice, and is particularly relevant to those areas in health care that have significant costs and variations in outcome
• Clinical audit and the development of clinical audit methodologies is a core quality improvement activity supported by the Western Australian Council for Safety and Quality in Health Care
• Clinical audit is a central component of the State's clinical governance framework and the Western Australian Strategic Plan for Safety and Quality in Health Care 2003-2008
• The WA Medical Indemnity Cover agreement for non-salaried medical practitioners includes a clause in section 7(C(i)) that requires participation in clinical audit activities such as the WA Audit of Surgical Mortality

There has been a concerted effort in the recent past at the national and state levels to encourage the uptake and use of clinical audit and evidence-based clinical practice in health care.

• At a national level the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons has deemed clinical audit a registered professional development activity.
• In WA the Department of Health supports and recognises the value of activities aimed at improving clinical practice such as:
• WA Audit of Surgical Mortality (WAASM)
• WA Review of Mortality (WARM)

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