Can medical audit be practised in district hospitals in Papua New Guinea?

Medical audit has become a statutory requirement for all specialties in many countries throughout the world, but apart from obstetric care has not been a routine part of clinical practice in Papua New Guinea. As the majority of people in Papua New Guinea live in rural areas served by a district hospital, medical audit will fail to contribute to raising the standards of health care unless it is also enthusiastically adopted by physicians in the rural districts. It is incumbent on all physicians to accept the leadership role that the health service expects of them to ensure the quality of care for their patients. Unlike factors relating to the quality of service, the quality of care can only be assessed by physicians. The methods to be used will vary according to the staffing, facilities and case-mix of the individual district hospital. The major constraints to the implementation of medical audit are discussed and some solutions are offered. It is concluded that medical audit can, and should, be practised in district hospitals in Papua New Guinea.