Hello everyone! We had an interesting discussion in our workshop in Zambia, about whether ethical approval is needed for an audit project. What do we think about this? Should we seek approval for our audit projects, or not? What do our colleagues in Zimbabwe,Uganda and Kenya think? It would be interesting to know how others plan to tackle this! Best wishes, Helen
This is very interesting Helen. Indeed it is better we go through Ethical Approval so that we are protected and feel comfortable to conduct the clinical audit. Warm regards, Chowa
This is very interesting Helen. Indeed it is better we go through Ethical Approval so that we are protected and feel comfortable to conduct the clinical audit. Warm regards, Chowa
I think we need we need ethical approval so that the clients rights are protected and also for our protection
Hi Chowa I agree with you - both the audit team and any participants we collect data from need to feel comfortable, and we need to ensure we uphold ethical principles when doing audit. Going through ethics approval can give us re-assurance that we are carrying out the project without causing harm or discomfort. In step 3 of the audit cycle, observing current practice, it is common for this to involve collecting data from women or others, so as with research, we need to be careful that what we ask is not sensitive, will not provoke discomfort. Let's keep this in mind as we design our projects! best Helen
Hi Francesca, I think the point you raise about women's rights is important - what do others think? Helen
In my own opinion, if we conduct a true audit, there is no need for ethical approval. In audit we are just evaluating care and not discovering an new information. However, because sometimes we go beyond just audit, we may need ethical approval to avoid legal implications. Mutinta
Hi great discussion, we had exactly the same discussion here in Zimbabwe, it is as you all say it is about quality improvement and implementing evidence into practice.