Dietetic audit--a giant step for nutritional care. The approach at Brooke Army Medical Center.

Issues which must be addressed by clinical dietitians as participants in their hospitals' quality assessment programs (audits) are defined. Solutions and approaches used at various phases of the audit processes by the clinical dietitians at Brooke Army Medical Center are described. Outcome and process criteria for nutritional care of the patients with maturity onset diabetes mellitus are presented, along with samples of the clinical dietitian's documentation in the patient's record. The impact of "audits" on the quality of nutritional care is exemplified by results of a series of audit studies on diabetes mellitus conducted over the past three years. Other benefits which have accrued from participation in the hospital's audit programs are enumerated.