To ensure the representativeness of an audit selection, including a certain percentage of patient encounters is essential. This approach allows auditors to gather a diverse and comprehensive sample that reflects the overall patient population and the variety of services provided. By selecting a specific percentage, it ensures that the audit encompasses different types of encounters, thereby maintaining a balance that can highlight trends, compliance, and areas needing improvement across the entire patient demographic.
A randomized selection of patient files, while it may introduce an element of randomness, does not guarantee that all categories or types of encounters are represented. Similarly, including all records over the past year may be impractical and could lead to an overwhelming amount of data, complicating the auditing process without providing a concise view of compliance. Specific criteria set by auditors, while useful for targeting specific areas, may unintentionally lead to selection bias if not carefully designed to cover a range of encounters.
Ultimately, focusing on a certain percentage of patient encounters strikes the right balance between thoroughness and manageability, ensuring the audit results are representative of the broader service delivery context.