Audit & Research

If you are a GP performing vasectomy, carpal tunnel decompression and/or hand surgery in the community setting, please consider contributing your data to the ASPC National Audits.

Our audit data collection and their presentations with discussion is one of the main strengths we have in the ASPC.
Why audit?

Ticks the boxes for your CCG

Needed for Appraisal, Reaccreditation and Revalidation

Help you win contracts!

Feedback that can give confidence to the patient

Loads of positive feedback (hopefully!) giving the surgeon instant feel-good factor

Self-Improvement - BE THE BEST YOU CAN

This is the bedrock from which we can increase our standing and credence in the surgical community.

This audit data collection is one of the main strengths we have in the ASPC giving us credence and standing in the secondary care surgical community

How else can we prove to Commissioners that Surgery in the Community offers as good (if not better) service, a far more cost effective service, and a more positive patient experience over Hospital based procedures than through AUDIT!

The ASPC Vasectomy audit is possibly the largest audit for a single surgical procedure in the UK in respect to patients experience.

Our Carpal Tunnel Decompression audit, we believe is the largest audit for that procedure in the UK.

We now have official ASPC questionnaires for Vasectomies, Carpel Tunnel decompressions and Skin surgery patient centric audits.

Every year the ASPC request the audit data collected by your clinic in respect to each of the 3 surgical procedures above and compile all these audit data to produce a spreadsheet showing both your figures, and everyone else’s.

Meaning you see not only how you are driving, but how you are driving compared to other road users.

Collection tools

We also make use of SurveyMonkey for you to collate your data online (mostly for the vasectomy audit)

Benefits of using Survey Monkey include

Make collecting the results and thus compiling them easier for yourselves

Survey monkey is available to all paid ASPC Members for their Audits.

A powerful tool for your own improvement, and feedback from patients

Nicely printed off PDF’s for your appraisal

For Carpal Tunnel decompression and the Skin Surgery audits, whilst SM can be used, the ASPC have specially developed Excel sheets to collate your Audit results

All these benefits come from joining the ASPC.

Come on, join the movement!!!

ASPC Carpal Tunnel Decompressions Surgery Audit
- We have finalised the questionnaires and process for undertaking a member wide, on-going Patient Reported Outcome Measure (PROM) survey for all hand surgery being undertaken.
  
  This uses the validated Patient Evaluation Measure (PEM) part 2 tool, which has been validated for all hand surgery.
  
  We have dispensed with the PEM part’s 1 and 3, and instead have asked the questions we feel relevant to the patients experience and any complications.
  
  It is very easy for patients to complete and for you and your staff to record the results.
  
  There are 3 questionnaires, one pre-op, one on the day (including the requisite ‘Friends and Family’) and one 3 months post-op.
  
  The audit cycle runs for 12 months covering the periods 1st Jan until 31st Dec, for presentation at the following years Conference
  
  Details how to collate the scores will be sent out to all members.
  
  Gareth James, Audit lead for ASPC Gtbvas@Yahoo.co.uk
ASPC Vasectomy Audits
- We offer two standardised questionnaires for vasectomy – both of which have been officially endorsed by the FSRH and can be accessed in the members Area
  
  To set up as an audit data contributor, please email Gareth James, Audit Lead for ASPC at the following address - Gtbvas@Yahoo.co.uk
  
  Once you start contributing to the audit, you will also be able to gain access to national audit results.
  
  Here are some tips for audit data collection from Gareth James, Audit Lead for ASPC:
  
  Audit is only as good as the quality (asking SPECIFIC questions) and the quantity (number of feedback submissions) of the questions asked….
  
  What do we want to specifically ask the patients?
  
  Did you experience any:
  
  a) Infection – Who gave the antibiotics? What reason?
  b) Swelling – How big? Was it painful, how long for?
  c) Pain – How long, how bad, have you still got any?
  d) Experience – Before, during, after…
  
  The ASPC now uses two 2 different questionnaires
  
  1) On-The-Day Questionnaire – Directly after the operation, before they leave the Clinic
  
  This gives you quantifiable data focusing on the patients experience of the operation, doctors’ competence and manner, the operative environment, leading up to, and including the operation itself. Good for your commissioning body / CCG
  
  2) The Post-Operative Questionnaire – asked usually between 1 to 4 months after their vasectomy (often sent with reminders to undertake tests, or with letter confirming test results)
  
  This is your MAIN provider of audit data for complication rates, and provide a lot of information for learning feedback for your whole vasectomy service.
  
  The audit cycle runs for 12 months covering the periods 1st April until 31st March, for presentation at the following years ASPC Conference
  
  Details how to collate the scores are sent out to all members.
  
  For the latest audit documentation please login to our members area.
ASPC Skin Surgery Audit
- This set of questionnaires offers surgeons and clinics a more patient centered set of questionnaires focusing more on the patients experience and their personal outcomes/complications.
  
  It is very easy for patients to complete and for you and your staff to record the results.
  
  There are 2 questionnaires, one on the day (including the requisite ‘Friends and Family’) and one post operation questionnaire
  
  The audit cycle runs for 12 months covering the periods 1st  Jan until 31st  Dec, for presentation at the following years Conference
  
  Details how to collate the scores are sent out to all members.