References
How to Prepare for an Infection Control Audit
Abstract
Consistent adherence to infection control principles is the means by which healthcare personnel can protect themselves and their patients. The infection control audit is an ideal vehicle to assess consistency of approach to infection prevention, and when utilised effectively is a useful key component of infection control programmes. This article will outline the key processes involved in undertaking an infection control audit in order to assist practices wishing to develop their own standardised audit form to help ensure consistent and thorough application of key infection control principles.
Clinical audit, as defined by the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) (2002), is a quality improvement process that seeks to improve patient care and outcomes. Aspects of the structure, processes and outcomes of care are selected and systematically evaluated against explicit criteria. Where indicated, changes are implemented at an individual, team or service level and further monitoring is used to confirm improvement in healthcare delivery. Put more simply, the audit is an organised examination of ward and service practices which provides the opportunity to simultaneously review safety in the workplace and identify and remedy deficiencies (Bryce et al, 2007).
Clinical audit is not a ‘witch hunt’, it is not about apportioning blame, and it is not a negative activity. It does not involve large amounts of statistical analysis or technical expertise. It should be viewed as a constructive activity, with the aim of assessing, evaluating and ultimately improving clinical work, and not as a tool to be used for criticism of an individual.
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