Series 2: Episode 3: Case examples

Learn about Quality Improvement with small bite-sized episodes of content. Just like streaming services, you can scroll and pick and choose what you want to watch or listen to. 

This section is unlike the other episodes in our QI Boxset. This is a library of all RCVS Knowledge’s clinical audit case examples. By searching for a topic, you will be able to find examples of other teams’ clinical audits that are most relatable to your area of work. Please choose the examples you’d like to read, watch, or listen to, and be inspired.

You can go beyond audit and learn about the science of improvement in 'Episode 4: Beyond audit, the science of improvement' where you will discover how to embed a system of continuous improvement, how to plan, measure, and assess your QI projects, and how sustainability alongside QI can help reduce waste and improve workflow in practice. You can then return here to browse through the case examples to find out how other practices have implemented clinical audits in their setting.

Course image Post-operative hypothermia audit
Episode 3: Audit case examples
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Samantha Thompson, RVN and Post-Registration Programme Manager for the Linnaeus Group, discusses her post-operative hypothermia audit and how the team used the results to make changes within practice.

CPD: 10 minutes
Authors: Samantha Thompson



Keywords for Post-operative hypothermia audit:
hypothermia temperature post-op podcast nurse vet nurse small animal companion animal dog cat dogs cats
Course image Auditing your infection control in practice
Episode 3: Audit case examples
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Once you have your infection control guidelines in place, how do you know if they are helping to improve your patient, client, and practice team’s safety?

CPD: 60 minutes
Authors: Pam Mosedale, Tim Nuttall
Outcome 1: Explain what audit is and how it can be used in infection control
Outcome 2: How benchmarking links with auditing infection control
Outcome 3: Give examples of significant events in infection control
Outcome 4: Introduce auditing of antimicrobial use


infection control audit dog cat equine hygiene hand wash washing cleaning sterile webinar companion small animal dogs cats horse horses antibiotic AMR
Course image Auditing aural cytology
Episode 3: Audit case examples
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Meghan Conroy, RVN, discusses her case example, which looks at the prevalence of ear cytology performed before and after antibiotic treatment across her practices.

CPD: 10 minutes
Authors: Meghan Conroy



aural cytology ear infection antibiotic CVS practice dog cat consult lab microscope podcast nurse vet nurse small animal companion animal dogs cats laboratory medicine medical antibiotics pharmacy AMR RVN swab small animal companion animal
Course image Tuesday Teatime Takeover - Clinical audits
Episode 3: Audit case examples
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Lou the Vet Nurse takes over the RCVS Knowledge Facebook site for a discussion about clinical audit, how to get started in practice, how to keep engaged and getting help along the way (recorded 5th November 2019).

CPD: 60 minutes
Authors: Louise Northway and Amelia Poole


webinar facebook video audit chat louise northway lou vet nurse tuesday teatime takeover knowledge awards
Course image Recording of controlled drugs
Episode 3: Audit case examples
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This award-winning case example shows how Angela Rayner, CVS PLC, completed audits into the recording of methadone and ketamine which resulted in improvements within the practice group.

CPD: 12 minutes
Authors: Angela Rayner


knowledge awards champion 2019 pharmacy schedule drugs medicine medication analgesia controlled drugs methadone ketamine CD small animal large animal dog cat equine dogs cats horse horses
Course image Equine dispensing audit
Episode 3: Audit case examples
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When the dispensing protocol was not being followed, Charlotte Hartley REVN performed a process audit and changed protocols to improve compliance and help avoid dispensing errors.

CPD: 10 minutes
Authors: Charlotte Hartley


× equine × large animal × pharmacy × dispensing × medicines × medication × horse
Course image Clinical incident reporting
Episode 3: Audit case examples
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This case example shows the national audit undertaken on clinical incidents throughout PDSA. By identifying where incidents were reported, the organisation could identify where they needed to focus their efforts on to make changes and create improvements.

CPD: 15 minutes
Authors: Steve Howard, PDSA


× pdsa × knowledge awards × champion × 2020 × incident × reporting × dog × cat × small animal × companion animal × charity
Course image Antibiotic use during dentals
Episode 3: Audit case examples
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This case example shows how Kay Lockwood, from Riversbrook Veterinary Group, performed an audit to measure and monitor antibiotic use during dental extractions.

CPD: 10 minutes
Authors: Kay Lockwood


× dental × dentist × dentistry × teeth × antibiotics × antimicrobials × AMR × medicine × pharmacy × surgery × surgical × dog × cat × small animal × companion animal × knowledge awards × highly commended × 2020
Course image Peripheral catheter care checklist and audit
Episode 3: Audit case examples
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This case example shows how one practice implemented a peripheral catheter care checklist and monitored its use and effectiveness through clinical audit.

CPD: 15 minutes
Authors: Newnham Court Vets


× IV × intravenous × catheter × care × peripheral × cannula × phlebitis × IV care × dog × cat × small animal × companion animal × drip × fluids × fluid therapy
Course image Hand hygiene
Episode 3: Audit case examples
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Vets Now Referrals Glasgow was highly commended for its clinical audit which assessed adherence to WHO handwashing guidelines.

CPD: 20 minutes
Authors: Vets Now Referrals Glasgow


hand hygiene hand wash wash sterile clean infection control infection control small animal large animal dog cat equine ECC emergency handwashing WHO handwashing
Course image Use of dental charts during dental examinations
Episode 3: Audit case examples
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This case example shows how Gillivervet Equine Practice performed a process audit on the completion of dental charts after dental examinations.

CPD: 10 minutes
Authors: Charlotte Hartley


dental equine charts dental charts horse large animal dentist dentistry dental scoring
Course image Hygiene audit
Episode 3: Audit case examples
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This case example shows how Vale Vets performed a hygiene audit through self-assessment to maintain a just culture and to identify any at-risk areas and further training required.

CPD: 15 minutes
Authors: Vale Vets


hygiene hand wash infection control control infection small animal large animal dog cat hand gel WHO knowledge awards champion 2020
Course image Hygiene and uniform audit
Episode 3: Audit case examples
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This case example shows how the team at The Laurels initiated a clinical audit to monitor hand hygiene and compliance to uniform protocols within the practice.

CPD: 15 minutes
Authors: Sandra Hunt, The Laurels


practice hygiene infection control uniform protocols small animal companion animal infection control sterile clean disinfectant Knowledge award highly commended 2020
Course image Ear cytology
Episode 3: Audit case examples
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This award-winning case example shows how Plymouth Veterinary Group created guidelines for performing cytology on patients presenting with ear pathology, utilising the whole teams’ skillset to improve the patient journey for a common and often persistent presentation.

CPD: 15 minutes
Authors: Nicola Lakeman, Plymouth Veterinary Group


dog cat small animal companion animal ear aural cytology laboratory microscope antibiotics consultation medicine pharmacy AMR resistance swab sample nurse training
Course image Equine castration audit
Episode 3: Audit case examples
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This case example shows the initial audit of equine practice and its postoperative equine castration complications.

CPD: 5 minutes
Authors: Charlotte Hartley


castration surgery standing equine horse neuter gelding gelded large animal
Course image Patient trends and complications
Episode 3: Audit case examples
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This award-winning case example shows how Louise Northway completed an audit to look for trends and complications that could be addressed for improvements to patient care.

CPD: 15 minutes
Authors: Louise Northway RVN


knowledge awards 2019 champion dog cat surgical surgery small animal temperature hypothermia anaesthesia analgesia companion animal inpatient care blood pressure multiparameter capnography monitoring complications
Course image General anaesthetic monitoring in an emergency setting
Episode 3: Audit case examples
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This award-winning case example shows how the Vets Now Macclesfield team conducted quarterly audits to improve general anaesthetic monitoring in an emergency setting. As a result, the practice suffered zero patient deaths or significant events related to anaesthesia or sedation.

CPD: 15 minutes
Authors: Lesley Moore, Vets Now Macclesfield


knowledge awards champion 2019 anaesthesia monitoring emergency critical care ECC ecg capnography small animal dog cat companion animal out of hours ooh sedation template
Course image Analgesia process audit
Episode 3: Audit case examples
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This case example shows the national process audit undertaken after implementing a national pain protocol at PDSA. By identifying which areas had successfully implemented the change, assistance could be provided to those that required further support.

CPD: 20 minutes
Authors: Steve Howard, PDSA


pdsa charity surgical surgery pre-medication medicine drugs pharmacy analgesia anaesthesia pain relief knowledge awards champion 2020 dog cat small animal companion animal
Course image Cruciate surgery outcome audit
Episode 3: Audit case examples
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This case example shows the national audit undertaken on cruciate surgical outcomes at PDSA. By auditing patient outcomes, PDSA could identify whether the current surgical technique offered was suitable, and implement a simple but effective technique to reduce the number of patients lost-to-follow-up.

CPD: 20 minutes
Authors: Steve Howard, PDSA


pdsa dog small animal companion animal orthopaedic cruciate charity surgery surgical outcome Knowledge award champion 2020
Course image Auditing post-operative complications
Episode 3: Audit case examples
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This case example shows how Vale Vets performed a post-operative complication audit on neutered cats and dogs to identify where any improvements were required.

CPD: 10 minutes
Authors: Vale Vets


dog cat small animal companion animal surgical surgery post-operative complication outcomes outcome knowledge awards champion 2020