• R Westcott, G Sweeney, and J Stead.
• East Street Surgery, South Molton, Exeter EX36 3BU, 4 Parkfield Way, Topsham, Exeter EX3 0DP and Wyndham House Surgery, Silverton, Exeter EX5 4HZ, UK.
• Fam Pract. 2000 Apr 1; 17 (2): 173-9.

BackgroundWhile well described and promoted as a useful activity, there remains a paucity of evidence on the process and experience of significant event audit (SEA) in primary care. To date, the most comprehensive evaluation of the process has been produced by comparing SEA with conventional audit. The current study intends to contribute to the debate by examining the attitudes and perceptions of a range of primary care staff who have been involved in the process.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to identify participants' perceptions of the benefits and problems associated with SEA in the context of primary care, and to derive suggestions which might improve the process of SEA.MethodsSemi-structured interviews of 12 participants from a variety of primary care disciplines were conducted, using grounded theory to analyse the results.ResultsA set of six perceptions and seven recommendations for the facilitation of SEA were produced.ConclusionsSEA constitutes a powerful tool, which can contribute to team building, enhanced communication and improved patient care, and represents a vital contributor to the development of clinical governance in primary care. However, its implementation and sustenance require sensitive handling for optimal benefit and to minimize difficulties. Our research has enabled us to propose suggestions to facilitate these processes.

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