An audit of a specialist registrar-run outpatient diagnostic hysteroscopy service in a district general hospital

Abstract

We aimed to audit a specialist registrar-run outpatient hysteroscopy service. This was a retrospective audit conducted in small district general hospital. All patients attending the outpatient hysteroscopy clinc during a 3-month period were studied. The patients' medical notes were used to collect data. Forty-five women attended the outpatient hysteroscopy clinic during the 3-month time period. The hysteroscopy was performed satisfactorily in 91.1% of cases. Pathology was found in 39% of cases. In 34.1% of cases an endometrial polyp was found and in 7.3% of cases a sub-mucous fibroid was seen. An endometrial biopsy was performed in 65.8% of cases and no malignancies were found. The inpatient hysteroscopy rate was higher than expected due to the high incidence of polyps, not because women could not be satisfactorily hysteroscoped in the clinic. A registrar-run outpatient hysteroscopy clinic is a viable and useful tool. Audit standards can be set and protocols developed.