Further, in routine use, the database allows surgeons to create electronic and paper-based clinical records. The Centre assisted the establishment of the audit in several ways. Its epidemiology team worked with a small group of surgeons to develop the audit form. The Centre also supported a data manager's position within the breast section of the College to establish the audit. The output is a clinical summary that prints to one side of an A4 page.
Surgeons can produce patient summaries for inclusion as a reference in the patient's file.
Piloting the audit The audit has been piloted by the executives of the College's breast section and by surgeons in Tasmania. In the pilot phase, data were collected from eight surgeons and 95 patients. The surgeons were very positive about the potential of the audit program. Data from the pilot phase have already demonstrated the potential value of the audit. Implementing the audit Soon, all members of the section of breast surgery will receive the breast audit kit, which includes software, a study reference manual and data dictionary.