The educational and practical value of clinical audit in Greece: a pilot study by surgical interns. Is it time to adapt a structured way to improve quality in healthcare?

Objectives: Clinical audit is a great way of facilitating quality improvement in health services. Our aim is to describe the concept, clinical and educational benefits of clinical audit, as well as present a simple example that can be used as a guide for interns and medical students in Greece. We hope to raise awareness on the subject of quality improvement in our financially challenged healthcare system. Methods: The potential educational benefits of the clinical audit were defined and were set as the objectives of this study. It was assigned to a team of surgical interns to select a topic of their choice, conduct a clinical audit, under the necessary supervision, and present their findings. Finally a discussion between the professors and the interns took place in order to assess whether the objectives were actually achieved. Results: The interns completed the audit successfully. It was obvious that they managed to improve the initial area of weakness significantly and identify opportunities for further improvement. At the same time this kind of project help them acquire important educational competencies. Conclusions: Incorporating clinical audits in medical education proves helpful for interns and for the quality of healthcare offered. This is especially important as it underscores the need and provides the methodology for structural changes that are critical in health care systems facing the global financial crisis