Checklist clerking document improves health promotion among medical admissions

Health promotion, as defined by the Ottawa Charter (1) is the ‘process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve their health’. Four life style risk factors: smoking, alcohol, obesity and physical activity are recognised as leading to health inequalities. These factors have implications at an individual, community and national level and the burden of disease has large cost implications for the NHS and country as a whole. Therefore the assessment of these risk factors, and the provision of good health promotion assist to address these problems. A pilot and initial audit demonstrated that assessment for the key life style risk factors and the provision of health promotion was poor. This quality improvement audit developed an easy to use, checklist based, amended clerking document. This improved both assessment and provision of health promotion and will be carried forward to influence the designing of a new clerking document.