The Written Submission of Practical Work

1. The Written Submission of Practical Work Steve Lazar

2. Options available • 8 criterion audit • National Project Marking Schedule

3. Summative Assessment Website • www.nosa.org.uk

4. What is Audit? Concrete Experience Reflection Test Hypothesis Make Hypothesis

5. What is Audit? • Audit is about introducing or measuring change

6. 8 criterion audit Choice of topic: • Choose an area where changes can be demonstrated • Ensure that all the practice agree that it is a worthwhile area for study

7. Criteria and Standards • What is an audit criterion? • Simply put it is a statement of the quality of care that is to be measured • Make certain that no more than three criteria are chosen • Cite evidence for choice • Keep them short, simple and focussed

8. Standards • May need to be flexible • Logical explanation required for choice

9. Teamwork • Audit should not be carried out in isolation • Plan an exit strategy to allow for change to take place and be evaluated

10. Sampling • Stick with the same sampling method for both data collections • Intervention or change? • The Registrar is not being assessed on their ability to sample scientifically. • A general rule of thumb is that a small group of patients should be randomly chosen (say, 15-50) to audit.

11. Data presentation • Ensure data is presented in terms of whole numbers (25/50) and percentages (50%). • Ensure the data presented is relevant to the criteria being measured. • Avoid presenting irrelevant data. • Compare 1st and 2nd data collections with the standard(s)

12. Demonstrating change • Try and provide an explicit example of change taking place. For example, if a new protocol is introduced then attach this as an Appendix • Give any change that is introduced time to bed in before attempting a 2nd data collection.

13. Presenting the submission • Ensure the final written report is compiled in a way that allows easy comparison with the eight criteria contained in the marking schedule. • It may be an idea for the trainer to critically assess the completed audit project using the marking schedule before submitting the project.

14. Choices of Project for NPMS • Questionnaire Study • Notes Review • Literature Review • Clinical Case Study • Research Study • Plan for new service in the practice • Discussion Paper

15. Administration details 5 copies of the project A floppy disk 3 first level markers

16. Marking details 18 or more Descriptors on grid No less than 2 on any criterion

17. The project must be based in and relevant to primary care

18. How to structure the project Use appropriate references, a minimum of 6 is suggested Make the aims clear and keep them simple Clear, repeatable method Appropriate conclusions Summarise findings and evaluate implications Relate results to aims and methods

19. What should be in a project protocol?

20. Introduction • Title • The project question • Reasons why it is important and interesting

21. Existing literature • What is already known • What methodologies are appropriate

22. Method • Which one? • Who are the subjects? • Sampling/recruitment? • Data collection?

23. Results • Form • Presentation

24. Conclusions • Relate them to the project question • Compare to current knowledge • Evaluate significance