‘Momentum’ is described as ‘the impetus and driving force gained by the development of a process or course of events’. As we come to the end of Clinical Audit Awareness Week 2019, it is fair to say that ‘momentum’ in relation to the publicizing of clinical audit has gained that aforementioned ‘impetus’ that we have all so very much craved.
If I cast my mind back to last year’s CAAW I’m pretty sure I had same feeling of ‘impetus’ and I’m guessing lots of other members of the clinical audit community around the UK. Does anyone else feel that the excitement and noise that had been created quickly descended back into apathy and the general feeling that audit is a burdensome nuisance that comes with a certain level of necessity, but gets in the way of the real day job??
So where does the blame lie??? It is noticeable that all the tweets, case studies, etc. that appear during the week come from those of us who are already convinced that clinical audit is a beneficial exercise in improving patient care. Is it enough for US to sell its virtues, ignoring the endorsement of the people on the ground whose task it is to collect the data and deliver projects whilst trying to care for the very patients their audits are trying to improve the care of? We’re actually selling ice to the eskimos? Is #CAAW merely a vanity project for all us clinical audit teams who feel neglected and unloved for 358 days of the year and need some focus and a pat on the back to reassure us we’re on the right road and that we’re alright afterall?
It most probably isn’t but the point I’m trying to make is that we may not be helping ourselves by having a week purely focused on clinical audit. What happens during the other 51 weeks of the year? Should we not be offering regular drop-ins, competitions, training opportunities, hero awards, open- door sessions, etc, etc.
I believe that it is reasonable to have a targeted set of events across the year which keeps the love for clinical audit alive. #CAAW19 should not be some Valentine’s Day style approach to the attractions of clinical audit. Audit is for life, not just for #CAAW…I won’t go on but this is a real issue. In its current guise, it does a great job of highlighting audit for a bit, but then the fervor dies down. Every one of us has a responsibility to keep the fires burning. PDSA…PDSA…PDSA…PDSA…lets improve.
*Craig is Audit and Improvement Officer, Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHSFT