Performing a Clinical Audit: From Planning to Practice

Systematic quality improvement processes are a cornerstone of modern healthcare systems. By comparing clinical practices with established standards, audits identify deviations, encourage corrective action, and promote accountability. This review outlines the development of clinical audit from its origins in Babylonian times through its formalization over the centuries. The article is organized into clearly defined sections using the Plan-Perform-Perfect-Prove framework, addressing core stages of the clinical audit cycle from topic selection to implementation of changes and reauditing. This structured approach aims to offer clarity and practical guidance for clinicians, particularly in surgical settings where precision and outcomes are closely scrutinized. While highlighting the benefits of audits in promoting patient safety and clinical accountability, it also discusses common challenges and barriers to successful implementation. Through its historical grounding and evidence-based presentation, this review provides a comprehensive and practical overview for professionals aiming to understand and apply clinical audit effectively in day-to-day practice.