RESULTS OF CLINICAL AUDITS APPLIED IN UROLOGY PRACTICE: SYSTEMATIC REVIEW FROM 2008 TO 2023

Abstract

Aim. Identifying and evaluating the possibilities of clinical audit as exemplified by its use in urology. Materials and Methods. The study was performed by analyzing clinical audit reports in urology. Information on clinical audit data was obtained from the electronic databases of clinical audits, such as NHS Digital, HQIP, the online library PubMed and the journal "The Online Journal of Clinical Audits". The methods of the system approach, bibliosemantic, content analysis and structural-logical analysis were used in the study. Results and Discussion. The reports on the results of the clinical audit concerned various aspects of urology: health care management in urology departments; provision of medical care under inpatient conditions; prostate cancer, etc. Clinical audit was conducted in both public and private health care institutions. Based on the results of clinical audits, existing and potential problems and shortcomings were identified, on the basis of which specific recommendations were formulated. During the analyzed period, repeated clinical audits took place, the purpose of which was to monitor the effectiveness of implementations. A key feature that unites the analyzed clinical audit reports is the identification of needs and potential opportunities for improvement. Conclusions. Based on the conducted systematic review, it was established that clinical audit is an effective tool for improving the quality of medical care, in particular, for urological patients. Therefore, it is likely to be applied in other areas of health care for effective management of clinical practice. Its use in private health care institutions will contribute to the improvement of patient care services, and its implementation in the public sector and at the national level of health care will ensure qualitative changes in the medical field.