Conducting an audit of clinical services

Abstract

Clinical errors occur as commonly as in 10% of hospital admissions.^1,2 A clinical error can be defined as a clinical incident that did not follow the intended plan of treatment, intervention or diagnostic plan.² The consequence of these errors includes prolonged hospital stay, increased healthcare costs and a loss in confidence for the organisation. A variety of these cases may result in complaints and litigation against the institutions. The potential for an error to occur constitutes clinical risk, which requires both an active error and certain conditions that allow the error to occur. Recommendations to address these clinical errors include a focus on the provision of  high-quality care, continuous learning from errors, prioritising patient safety and quality care.²