What is an audit in healthcare?

A healthcare audit is a systematic review of clinical practice, patient care, and operational procedures against a defined set of established standards. Through this review, areas that aren’t up to standard can be identified and assigned a plan for improvement. 

For example, in a healthcare setting, staffing levels, the provision of specialised equipment, waiting times, adherence to protocols, mortality rates, and hygiene practices would all need to be assessed to determine whether the facility meets relevant care standards. Even elements like the condition of healthcare uniforms would need to be evaluated, as poorly maintained or non-compliant PPE and workwear could present a severe infection and cross-contamination risk in healthcare settings.

Ultimately, by identifying and helping to improve sub-standard processes, healthcare audits can improve patient outcomes and help to standardise high-quality care across healthcare facilities.

Healthcare audits can be undertaken at a national or local level. In a national healthcare audit, facilities can be assessed across the entirety of the NHS or private healthcare organisations. In a local audit, particular trusts, GP services, hospitals, or even specific departments within a healthcare facility can be examined against established care standards or guidelines.

In addition to prioritising hygiene and cleanliness, carer uniforms create a more professional atmosphere in the workplace.

When carers wear smart clothing that reflects the chosen style and image of the organisation, this improves confidence and trust amongst residents and their families. By seeing these smart carers uniforms each day, residents and visitors will be reassured that professionals in the facility take pride in their appearance and their work.

Many care home facilities use specific carers uniform colours, trims or embroidery to denote a carer’s area of expertise or seniority. This makes it easier for patients to identify which employees to approach if they have an issue, especially if they have a condition like dementia that makes it harder for them to remember names and faces.

Not only will patients find it easier to identify the correct staff members to approach, but this will benefit visitors and other employees. Visitors will be able to identify the right carer to approach on behalf of their family member, and other carers will have a much better idea of the hierarchy within their teams.

Following on from the previous point, a standardised carer uniform within a healthcare facility can improve collaboration by making it easier for staff to identify who to report to within the team’s hierarchy. Roles and seniority levels can be clearly defined through carers uniform colours and trims, streamlining staff communication. This is particularly crucial in healthcare emergencies.

Plus, carers uniforms can improve team cohesion and employee morale. Not only do they feel a greater sense of belonging with a standardised uniform, but simply being smartly dressed can make workers feel more confident and therefore more productive. With morale and team cohesion increased, care homes can improve employee retention and their overall performance.

Confidence and comfort are key factors affecting workers’ morale and performance. Therefore, care home uniforms made from comfortable, flexible and breathable materials can improve worker efficiency, especially during long shifts where carers will often be on their feet and moving around.

The right care home uniforms can provide comfort for patients, as well as staff. 

Research suggests that bright primary colours and bold patterns can enhance visual perception and reduce confusion for dementia patients, improving their overall mental well-being and quality of life. Therefore, choosing colourful carer uniforms could potentially lead to better outcomes for some patients.

The colours you choose can have a wide variety of impacts on patients. For example, colours like orange and yellow evoke feelings of cheerfulness and positivity, whereas colours such as blue and green can have a more calming effect.

Many care homes in the UK are privately owned, so to differentiate between organisations and create a cohesive brand identity, private care facilities will often have bespoke healthcare uniforms customised with their company name and logos. 

To do this, care homes choose healthcare uniform suppliers with bespoke design services and embroidery services – like alsico. Whether you need logos added to one of our existing carer uniform designs or a completely bespoke workwear solution, we can deliver the exact garments you need to suit all body shapes and sizes.

Not only is complying with established standards best practice, but it may also be a legal requirement in some cases. By evaluating compliance with these standards in healthcare audits, organisations can stay out of legal trouble and adhere to important regulatory requirements.

Many of these established standards in healthcare are designed specifically to ensure a certain level of patient care. Therefore, healthcare audits that measure care procedures against these standards will help to ensure that the quality of care is up to scratch.

It goes without saying that improved patient care can lead to better outcomes for some patients. If the quality of care is improved as a result of action plans put in place after an audit, this may increase survival and recovery rates – or at least lead to improved patient confidence and comfort.

In addition to identifying issues with current care procedures, healthcare audits can also identify inefficiencies in clinical and administrative processes. These inefficiencies can then be tackled to streamline processes and improve resource utilisation.

After a healthcare audit, a written report will be published for transparency and accountability. Organisations that fail to provide adequate care can then be held accountable – which will encourage them to improve.