# Compliance With the British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) Standards on Ureteric Stent Documentation: A Retrospective Clinical Audit

## TL;DR

A hospital audit found that a new electronic system for tracking ureteric stents did not significantly improve documentation compared to a traditional logbook.

## Contribution

The study evaluates the effectiveness of an electronic stent-tracking database in improving documentation compliance with BAUS standards.

## Key findings

- Pre-implementation logbook completeness was 98.2%, and post-implementation completeness was 97.1% in both the electronic database and logbook.
- Missed entries were linked to workflow variation and inconsistent use of parallel systems.
- The electronic database did not improve overall documentation completeness compared to the traditional logbook in its initial phase.

## Abstract

Ureteric stents are routinely used in urological practice, but incomplete documentation can result in delayed removal and avoidable complications. This retrospective clinical audit evaluated compliance with BAUS standards before and after the introduction of a new electronic stent-tracking database at a UK district general hospital. All ureteric stents inserted between 20 January and 20 May 2024 were identified from theatre records, with documentation cross-checked against the handwritten stent logbook (pre-implementation) and both the logbook and electronic database (post-implementation). A total of 123 stents were inserted: 55 pre-implementation and 68 post-implementation. Pre-implementation completeness in the logbook was 98.2% (54/55). Post-implementation completeness was 97.1% in both the electronic database (66/68) and the logbook (66/68), with neither system achieving full capture. Missed entries were associated with workflow variation, inconsistent use of parallel systems, and failure to capture antegrade stents. The introduction of the electronic database did not improve overall documentation completeness compared with the traditional logbook, at least at its initial phase. Future improvements should focus on eliminating dual-pathway documentation, ensuring mandatory database use, optimising system configuration for all stent types, enhancing staff training, and re-auditing following implementation of these changes to achieve the target of 100% documentation.