Acknowledgement We are grateful to the then Oxford Regional Health Authority Medical Audit Committee in Psychiatry and Community Services for the invaluable support, all the Psychiatrists in the Region who completed the questionnaires, and Mr. Lester Gill, Clinical Epidemiology Department of the Oxford Regional Health Authority for the statistical analysis at the pilot stage. Positive or Negative 1. Audit helps disseminate examples of good practice. The process of audit will interfere with clinical freedom. Teamwork will improve as a result of audit.
Audit is likely to jeopardise clinical confidentiality.
Audit is a rather secretive activity. Audit will help clinicians to use their expertise more effectively. Audit will improve the quality of patient care. Audit does not appear to be a value for money exercise. Doctors are now more interested in patients' perception of care than they were prior to the introduction of audit.