Clinical audits: Why and for whom

The definitive version is available at www.blackwell-synergy.comEvery surgical activity poses some element of risk to the public and should include a quality control initiative. Surgical audit is one strategy used to maintain and/or improve standards in surgical care. The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons is committed to ensuring best practice in surgical care and strongly endorses the use of audits to achieve this. This review provides an overview of clinical audit and its role in surgical practice.Margaret Boult, Guy J Madder