Journal Article

Users' guide to the surgical literature. Self-audit and practice appraisal for surgeons

Tandan, Ved, Goldsmith, Charles H, Birch, Daniel W

2005

Overview

The RCPSC requires that the participating surgeon formally document the self-audit process. The required documentation includes an audit proposal; appropriate data-collection forms; dates of initiation and completion; data interpretation; anticipated outcomes for the surgeon's practice; and summaries of the findings and actual participation of the surgeon in the self-audit. The college does not require the participating surgeon to keep raw data from the audit. Although Schedule B provides protection for surgeons functioning on designated hospital quality-of-care committees, it is unlikely to provide the same degree of protection to a surgeon performing an independent self-audit.\" Therefore, a surgeon who plans to complete a self-audit and keep the data and data summary should be made aware that this information may be legally discoverable, if a civil action is made against the surgeon and relevant data from a self-audit are requested. The surgeon who discards raw data after a self-audit would not be considered to have acted improperly.19 Preserving the remaining documentation of the self-audit will fulfil RCPSC requirements for documentation. In a self-audit, a surgeon asks himself a challenging, introspective question related to his current surgical practice. As the question is being considered, proposed and resolved by the surgeon the educational process of self-audit and self-directed learning is taking place.\" Participation by governing societies and specialty groups may further contribute to learning and could play an important role in stimulating the individual surgeon to conduct a self-audit. Discussion at meetings and conferences may then confirm or validate findings and facilitate the difficult process of changing practice. A database of templates for self-audit could be further developed and maintained by specialty groups to facilitate the process for individual surgeons and provide needed incentive and structure. Ideally, this will lead to an improved overall acceptance of this challenging but rewarding process.

• Publisher: CMA Impact Inc,CMA Impact, Inc,Canadian Medical Association
• Subject: Adult / Canada / Evidence-Based Surgery / Female / General Surgery - standards / Humans / Male / Medical Audit - methods / Middle Aged / Outcome and Process Assessment (Health Care) - methods / Quality Assurance, Health Care - methods / Total Quality Management - methods