There may be investigation of prescribing and investigation profiles of particular Consultation episode in an attempt to define a Standard and acceptable package against which monitoring and audit are possible.

The Cochrane database has provided access to Evidence Based medicine for all, so that best practice can be increasingly standarticed.

Meta-analysis attempts to bring together several studies, all trying to answer the same question and combine them and thus increase the overall validity of any conclusion.

At Unit level there is the need to provide regular audit data, and quality surveillance. Information collection and analysis needs to be a continuous process so that the organization and the management are as well informed about performance and activity as about the financial situation. This is the stuff of Clinical Governance.

Nationally there is a tendency for League tables to be produced comparing different Units in terms of their Performance across both Management and Clinical Criteria - a sort of Michelin Guide to Hospitals.