What is Clinical Audit?

The Principles of Best Practice states,

"Clinical audit is a quality improvement process that aims to improve patient care and outcomes by carrying out a systematic review and implementing change. Aspects of patient care – including structure, processes and outcomes – are selected and evaluated against explicit criteria and, where necessary, changes are implemented at an individual, team or service level. Further monitoring can then be used to confirm the improvements in healthcare delivery."

National Institute of Clinical Excellence (2002).