Frameworks for improvement: clinical audit, the plan–do–study–act cycle and significant event audit

A Niroshan Siriwardena, Steve

Abstract

This is the first in a series of articles about quality improvement tools and techniques. We explore common frameworks for improvement, including the model for improvement and its application to clinical audit, plan–do–study–act (PDSA) cycles and significant event analysis (SEA), examining the similarities and differences between these and providing examples of each.