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The role of general practitioners is being redefined in the light of the emphasis on more care in the community, economic factors, and patients' expectations. The strength of general practice [...]

Introduction The government has proposed that 'every doctor should participate in regular systematic medical audit.'(1) From 1984 to 1990 we undertook an extensive audit of the care of children in [...]

Objective--To estimate the effects of medical audit, particularly setting clinical standards, on patients' health. Design--Before and after study strengthened by a replicated Latin square. Setting--62 training general practices in the [...]

The English government has announced the first national standards for cancer care, which are being introduced to end variations in the quality of care provided by different hospitals. The cancer [...]

The patient safety movement includes a wide variety of approaches and views about how to characterise patient safety, study failure and success, and improve safety. Ultimately all these approaches make [...]

Clinical guidelines are systematically developed statements designed to help practitioners and patients make decisions about appropriate health care for specific circumstances.[1] Clinicians are being inundated by a tidal wave of [...]

Clinical guidelines are rapidly proliferating on both sides of the Atlantic. Mainly intended to improve the quality and cost effectiveness of care, they could also be used for rationing. Currently, [...]

Summary points Implementation of evidence based guidelines may limit doctors' discretion and the autonomy of local commissioners Guidelines allow narrow interest groups to impose their priorities on the health service [...]

'It is not about whether to provide out of hours care but how to do it,' Dr Ian Bogle emphasised at the start of a debate on general practitioners' 24 [...]