The RCGP Clinical Innovation
and Research Unit (CIRC) are keen to support clinical audit in the
setting of primary care. In particular to support GP appraisal when
clinical audit work is being discussed. For the purpose of
revalidation the RCGP Guide to the Revalidation of General
Practitioners highlights the importance of clinical audit and the
need for GPs to do two full cycle audits over the 5-year
revalidation period. In particular the current guides states:
‘All GPs should be familiar
with the principles and practice of Clinical Auditing. When
revalidation is fully established, a GP’s revalidation portfolio
will be expected to contain information to demonstrate that he or
she has taken part in clinical audit activity.’
For basic information about the
principles of clinical audit please visit the CIRC resources on
clinical
audit.
There has been resurgence in
the need for clinical audit in practice initiated by the NHS
executive. The Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP)
will manage a programme of work in particular improving audit
practice, development of national clinical audits and the promotion
of the value of audit as part of individual professional
recertification and validation. HQIP have provided funding to
support CIRC in providing a peer feedback model which follows the
continuing professional development programme provided by NHS
Education for Scotland. Published papers have indicated that the
peer review system if given adequate resources is considered
feasible and acceptable to GPs including appraisers.
.
Submitting your audit – what
happens?
The methodology is
straightforward.
1. GPs or associates in
training are invited to submit their audit projects electronically.
To submit your audit work please:
What happens
next?
The audit work will be veted
initially to ensure there is no patient identifiable data. If there
is, then the submitting GP will be invited to resubmit with the
data cleaned.
If there is no identifiable
data then the audit project will be sent to two peer reviewers.
The feedback will then be
collated and passed to the medical director who will screen the
feedback and/or seek clarification from the peer reviewers.
1. If the feedback is
acceptable then it will be sent electronically back to the
submitting GP
2. If the feedback is such that
there is a wide discrepancy between the two peer reviewers then the
medical director and/or steering group members will review, comment
and feedback to the peer reviewers and will provide feedback to the
submitting GP.
3. Any comments or points of
clarification thereafter will be handled by the medical
director.
It is anticipated that feedback will be provided
to the submitting GP within 15 working days or earlier.
For any questions please contact CIRC.
CIRC@rcgp.org.uk
020 3188
7597