BREAST CANCER CLINICAL AUDIT

Breast cancer is still one of the most pressing public health issues around the world and its burden is increasing whether countries are developed or developing. In Kenya, breast cancer is the most common cancer and a leading cause of cancer morbidity in women, and, as a determinant of cancer mortality more broadly. While there has been increasing awareness and improved access to healthcare in recent years, issues with delayed presentation, inadequate documentation, and non-adherence to clinical guidelines, still undermine efforts at properly managing breast cancer.
Clinical audits are effective tools for assessing current clinical practices, identifying gaps in care and helping to make evidence-based changes. Kindly remember that Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) is a national referral and teaching hospital, and they have a complicated volume of breast cancer patients that requires continuous re-evaluation and monitoring of diagnostic accuracy - whether clinical decisions made by the medical staff were appropriate, and the quality of documentation as well. It also enables everyone involved with the clinical process to have an understanding of the lived experience of patients - from history taking, physical examination, diagnostic imaging, and ultimately decisions about treatment according to current clinical guidelines - in getting closer to translating or transferring clinical practice to their professional responsibilities.
This report represents a thorough audit of breast cancer practices at KNH using prospectively collected data. It seeks to assess whether the documentation is complete, whether initial presentations are assessed appropriately, and whether discharge planning demonstrates continuity of care. The audit also provides insights that can be acted upon to strengthen breast cancer care at the hospital by illuminating patterns and gaps.