Medical audit
I refer to the editorial entitled The Benefits of Medical Audit (April 26). The editorial gives the erroneous impression that audit is new to the health system. This is not the case. In fact, medical audits have been carried out within the Maltese...
I refer to the editorial entitled The Benefits of Medical Audit (April 26). The editorial gives the erroneous impression that audit is new to the health system. This is not the case. In fact, medical audits have been carried out within the Maltese health system for quite a few years.
The Quality Assurance Initiative Adjudicating Committee chaired by M. Borg Bountempo has received 180 reports annually for the past three years on quality initiatives including medical audits, service evaluations and studies from senior doctors and specialists. Reports are not publicised because, as a rule, clinical audit is a means of reflective practice and should be used as a tool for improving quality and not for finger pointing.
Many doctors do evaluate their own practice on a regular basis from a genuine desire to deliver the most effective care to their patients. As was correctly pointed out in the editorial, medical or clinical audit is one of the methods of ensuring that our health service delivers effective, efficient and timely care which optimises patient outcome.