Audit and non-principals: reported experiences in general practice.

Abstract

Objectives: To determine respondents reported levels of exposure to audit during their medical career and as a general practice non-principal. To assess and identify audit education and training needs.

Design: Postal questionnaire survey.

Setting: The West of Scotland.

Subjects: Two hundred GP non-principals.

Results: A response rate of 79% was achieved. The mean age of respondents was 35 years and 121 (77%) were female. One hundred and thirty respondents (83%) reported involvement in three or less audit projects during a mean career length of 12.1 years. Of 378 audit projects claimed to have been undertaken, 287 (76%) involved setting measurable standards, and 181 (48%) failed to be completed. One hundred and six respondents (68%) had yet to take part in audit during their time as a non-principal (median length of time was 1 year). Thirty nine respondents (25%) were currently involved in an on-going audit project. One hundred and twelve (71%) claimed that they were not expected to participate in audit as part of their current or previous non-principal post. One hundred and one respondents (64%) indicated that they require further education and training in audit method.

Conclusions: Non-principals' experience of audit and exposure to it are poor. Many lack knowledge of audit method and appear to be uninvolved in audit and excluded from local audit programmes. Integration into the primary care team, access to a co-ordinated programme of audit and training in audit method are required. Otherwise non-principals may continue to struggle with the audit demands of clinical governance and impending revalidation.