Medical Audit by Clinical Rounds

The authors describe a system of medical care evaluation (or audit) that is an alternative to systems requiring extensive electronic data processing and is of practical use on psychiatric services. Nonphysician reviewers abstract data on preselected topics from hospital records of current or recently discharged patients. Audit findings are then discussed in meetings that include all levels and disciplines of hospital staff, with a focus on patterns of care rather than individual cases. Specific recommendations resulting from these discussions can help achieve the goal of improving the quality of care.