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Annual Report 2025-2026/Our Work/Leadership in Patient Care/Advancing Patient Care/Advancing Patient Care
 

Advancing Patient Care through Clinical Audit and Quality Improvement

Across radiology, histopathology and GI endoscopy, the National Specialty Quality Improvement programmes reported increased clinical activity, enhanced data quality, progress against key quality indicators, and stronger regional oversight throughout the 2025-2026 College year. Research supported by the programmes was published and presented internationally, and development of the National Bronchoscopy Quality Improvement Programme continued to progress. 

Together, these achievements highlight the programmes' growing impact on quality improvement, clinical governance, and patient outcomes across the healthcare system. Their success is dependent on the ongoing commitment of the four working groups, and the many clinicians that upload data and share reports locally in all participating public and private hospitals across the country, as well as our dedicated patient and public involvement representatives.

The programmes recognise the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration in fostering a culture of continuous quality improvement and clinical audit. As the programmes evolve in terms of the data collected and the key quality indicators reported on, it is essential to seek the perspectives of patients, clinicians, healthcare leaders and programme management to add vital context to findings and to make informed recommendations for improvements.

The programmes continue to work with participating hospitals, RCPI, the HSE and the working groups to identify opportunities for future clinical audit, research and quality improvement projects that contribute to improved diagnostic services and better patient care nationally.   

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Female health professionals attending the NSQI conference in 2025
 

Research

 

Over the course of the last four years, the programmes have invited SpR’s to join the NHQI, NEQI and NRQI Programmes in a research capacity. They are invited to respond to an expression of interest, and the term is two years. Their input has been key in terms of seeing the national QI data used to highlight improvements, to research areas of potential improvements. The following research has been undertaken by the working groups and the programme managers with the key input from these SpR’s:  

“Continuous Improvements in Endoscopic Performance Captured at a National Level through Quality Improvement” (Published in Endoscopy International Open)  

“The role of multidisciplinary team meeting histopathology review and its impact on revised reports” (Published in American Journal of Clinical Pathology (AJCP)) 

“Persistence of Peer Review During the Pandemic” (Presented by Dr Eoghan O’Connor at United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) annual meeting). 

“The role of MDT Histopathology Review and Impact on Revised Report” (Presented by Dr Eoghan O’Connor at United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) annual meeting).  

“Rising Workload and Diagnostic Complexity in Histopathology and the Impact on Turnaround Times in Ireland” (Presented by Dr Gréta Galambosi at the European Congress of Pathology).