Departmental Clinical Audit Project Contest

A resident contest as part of the CAR 75th Annual Scientific Meeting.

 

Flyer

 

Residents are asked to submit their project following the guidelines given below for basic clinical audits.

What is a Clinical Audit?

An audit is a clinical quality improvement process that seeks to improve patient care and outcomes through a systematic review of care against explicit criteria and the review of change. Aspects of the structure, process, and outcome of care are selected and systematically evaluated against explicit criteria. Where indicated, changes are implemented at an individual, team, or service level and further monitoring is used to confirm improvement in healthcare delivery. (Definition from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence UK, 2002)

Typical Audit Cycle

  • Identify the problem (e.g. overlooked lung cancers on CXR)
  • Set the standards (literature review)
  • Collect data (retrospective or prospective “misses” in your department)
  • Compare results to the set standard (best available studies)
  • Implement change (viewing conditions in reading room, QC on exposures etc.)
  • Re-audit

Audit Project - Electronic Poster Guidelines

The project should be mentored by a staff radiologist with possible involvement of all levels of staff in the department including clerical, technologists and radiologists as interventions or changes may require acceptance and support from all departmental personnel.

Abstract

Maximum 250 words excluding the title and authors.

The following is a recommended outline:

  1. Audit Title
  2. Authors
  3. Place of Audit
  4. Brief background
  5. Aim of the study
  6. Methodology
  7. Results
  8. Action Plan

CT dose studies are an excellent and useful starter audit project.

Preference will be given to original projects.

 

Presentation Guide

 

PowerPoint

PowerPoint - Maximum of 20 slides with Introduction/Background and Trigger

Introduction/Background and Trigger

Focus your presentation on the trigger for the audit, for example was there an adverse event, a patient satisfaction issue, concern about adherence to guidelines or concern about the validity of a national or local guideline.

Keep the background otherwise brief. The project should be within your own department with the aim of improving quality of patient care locally.

Standards and Methods

Define what evidence-based standard or criterion was used as best evidence, was it a local or a national guideline? If there is no guideline a self-constructed standard may be used but will need an explanation on how it was derived.

Results/Data

Present your data as a comparison of performance against the standard you have identified. Histograms, bar charts and pie charts are particularly useful. Statistical analysis tools used might include descriptive statistics, bivariate statistics, prediction for numerical outcomes and prediction for identifying groups but careful initial planning may be required prior to data collection.  Mention any previous known or published audits with relevant population differences from your study. State how many hours were involved in completing the audit.

Recommendations

Indicate how you implemented and managed any changes together with sensible and feasible recommendations to other departments. Identify any barriers to implementing changes.

Conclusions

Give a brief summary of your re-audit post making the changes (you may not have had time to complete this by the time of the presentation but it should be planned or in progress).

References and Acknowledgements

Maximum ten references.

Audit Poster Prize

Based on merit, the best audit project presented at the Annual Scientific Meeting will be selected for a grand prize of $1,000.

References and Resources

Please visit our Call for Abstracts FAQs for information on how to submit an abstract.