ABSTRACT
The systematic, critical analysis of the quality of medical care, including the procedures used for diagnosis and treatment, the use of resources and the resulting outcome and quality of life for the patient. The most commonly considered conflict is between cost and quality, or in terms of one' views between the resource-based view and the public health view. Any improvements which can impact positively on more than one view without negatively impacting elsewhere are particularly attractive. The purpose of clinical audit is to assist in the management of patient care and to identify problems and to facilitate improvement. The ideal form of clinical audit proposed by the White Paper is in fact far from ideal as a quality management procedure. Clinical governance is much more ambitious in scope than clinical audit. It emphasizes quality assurance much more than quality improvement. A major part of quality healthcare is ensuring that as professionals we do not do harm to patients or clients.
