resources : audit : conducting an audit

Conducting an Audit

To perform an audit, data for patients with diabetes are collected locally via manual chart review (manual audit) or by extracting data from electronic health record systems (electronic audit), primarily the Resource Patient Management System (RPMS). Electronic files of the data are created via data entry into a database for manual audits or via the RPMS data extraction process for electronic audits. These electronic files are used locally for creating reports and for local, regional, and national quality improvement efforts.

Once a year, Indian health facilities voluntarily participate in the IHS Diabetes Care and Outcomes Audit ("the Audit"). Participating facilities send their data to the IHS Division of Diabetes (DDTP) for centralized processing and analysis. The data are aggregated and used to generate reports to meet the need for nationwide information for GPRA (Government Performance and Results Act), Congress, and other IHS and Federal agencies. Follow the instructions below to participate in the Audit.

Audit 2010

Current Status (Updated June 15, 2010)

Data collection and submission for Audit 2010 has ended. Thanks to the efforts of Indian health system facilities nationwide, more data were collected this year than ever - over 85,000 records from 332 facilities!

As in previous years, the Division of Diabetes has begun checking and cleaning Audit 2010 data now that data collection has ended. All Audit 2010 data and reports should be considered draft until this process is complete.

WebAudit Reports and Data

Although data can no longer be entered or edited for Audit 2010, reports can be run and data can be downloaded data via the WebAudit at any time. As mentioned above, all reports and data for Audit 2010 should be considered draft until the data are finalized. All reports for Audit 2010 currently have the word "DRAFT" in the title; once the data are finalzed this will be removed from the titles.

Note that reports can be run and data downloaded for Audit 2008 and 2009 via the WebAudit at any time also.

Please see the WebAudit section below for more information about using the WebAudit.

Audit Instructions and Forms

Instructions and forms for conducting an Audit can be found at www.dmaudit.com . Click on the ‘Download Files’ link and then click on the name of the document in the list on the left side of the page.

Carefully read the Audit Instructions document and review the Audit Form for 2010 before beginning your Audit, even if you have conducted an Audit before.

Once the staff at your facility decides whether to perform a manual or electronic Audit, proceed according to the instructions to generate paper Audit forms (for a manual Audit) or to generate an electronic data file using RPMS (for an electronic audit). Once you have completed this step, at least one person at your facility must have access to the WebAudit (see below) to enter or upload data.

To facilitate completion of all steps in the annual Audit process, please refer to the appropriate checklist:

• Manual Audit Checklist (DOC - 89KB)
• Electronic Audit Checklist (DOC - 101KB)

Training

There are many different training opportunities for the Audit, including classroom-based and live and recorded WebEx sessions. These trainings are hosted by IHS and other organizations and cover a variety of topics, from comprehensive use of RPMS/DMS to using the WebAudit.

The recorded WebEx training sessions listed below are available now; click on the name to view the session. Additional sessions will be posted on this page as they are available. There are also recorded Advancements in Diabetes seminars that may be of interest to individuals involved in working on the Audit.

• Conducting an Electronic Audit using RPMS (45 minutes) – This training covers the following topics:
• Changes for Audit 2010 (first 0-12 minutes)
• How to conduct an Audit using standard (roll & scroll) RPMS (12-37 minutes)
• How to conduct an Audit using Visual DMS (37-45 minutes)
• RPMS Taxonomies for Audit 2010 (45 minutes) – This training provides detailed instructions for setting up taxonomies in standard RPMS and Visual DMS.

Tribe Codes 

Official IHS tribe codes, for the ‘Tribal enrollment code’ item on the Audit form can be found here (PDF - 123KB). These codes were extracted from the IHS Standard Code Book in January 2010.

WebAudit

A set of internet-based tools called the WebAudit is used for data entry, transfer of files from electronic audits, data processing, and reporting (replacing EpiInfo, which was used to perform these tasks in previous years).

The WebAudit uses a point-and-click interface for data entry into a secure, remote, centralized database. Once the data are entered, they can be viewed, edited or downloaded to a local system as an Excel file. Reports on the data can be run and downloaded via the WebAudit.

• Requirements:  To use the WebAudit, you must have a computer with internet access and an internet browser, such as Internet Explorer.
• Documentation:
  • WebAudit FAQ
• Request Access:
  • The WebAudit requires each user to have a username and password that is separate from the account they use to log in to their local network.
  • To request a WebAudit account, click here (to send an email message to the WebAudit team).
  • Most requests for WebAudit accounts will be processed within 24 hours. You will receive an email message from "IHS - IHPES Admins" with the subject line "New IHPES Portal Account Information". Please read the message carefully and follow the instructions to access the WebAudit.
  • DO NOT wait until the day you need access to request an account.
• Log In to WebAudit:   Click here to log in to the WebAudit if you already have a WebAudit account.

For More Information –  If you have questions about the WebAudit or need help, email the WebAudit team at  DDTPWebAuditAdmins@ihs.gov.