The AoA reviews a trainee’s competence in completing an audit. Like all Workplace Based Assessments, it is intended to support reflective learning through structured feedback. It was adapted for surgery from an instrument originally developed and evaluated by the UK Royal Colleges of Physicians.
The assessment can be undertaken whenever an audit is presented or otherwise submitted for review. It is recommended that more than one assessor takes part in the assessment, and this may be any surgeon with experience appropriate to the process. Assessors do not need any prior knowledge of the trainee or their performance to date, nor do the assessors need to be the trainee’s current Assigned Educational Supervisor.
Verbal feedback should be given immediately after the assessment and should take no more than 5 minutes to provide. A summary of the feedback with any action points should be recorded on the Assessment of Audit form and uploaded into the trainee’s portfolio.
The Assessment of Audit guidance notes provide a breakdown of competences evaluated by this method.
AoA Form
AoA Guidance