knowledge, attitude, and practice of clinical audit among healthcare professionals in Gusau, Zamfara State, Nigeria.

BackgroundClinical audit is a vital quality improvement tool in healthcare that enables frontline workers to evaluate their care practices against established standards. This study assessed the knowledge, attitude, and practice of clinical audit among frontline healthcare workers in selected hospitals in Gusau, Zamfara State. MethodsA descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between February to September 2024 among 410 frontline healthcare workers across four health facilities in Gusau, Zamfara State, using a quantitative method of data collection. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20, with a CI of 95% and p-value of [≤] 0.05 considered statistically significant. ResultsThe mean age of respondents was 36.6 +/- 7.3 years, with 180 (44%) aged 31-40 years. The overall level of knowledge of clinical audit was adjudged to be poor among 224 (54.6%) of participants. Doctorsdemonstrated marginally higher good knowledge scores compared to other cadres. Facility type was significantly associated with knowledge level (p=0.001), while age, gender, specialty, and years of experience showed no significant association. Respondents generally had positive attitudes toward clinical audit, but actual participation in audit practices was low across all cadres. ConclusionsThis study has demonstrated a suboptimal level of knowledge of clinical audit among frontline healthcare workers, with variation across facility types. While attitudes toward clinical audit were largely positive, practical engagement remains limited, highlighting the need for targeted training and institutional support to enhance clinical audit practice in similar settings.