Transforming Clinical Audits: NOCA’s New Platform Streamlines Data Collection and Reporting
The National Office of Clinical Audit (NOCA), with support from the HSE, is pleased to announce the introduction of a new audit platform (NAP). The NAP is a cloud-based platform developed to provide a data collection, validation, implant scanning, device management, and reporting system for NOCA’s audits and registers.
NOCA is primarily funded by the HSE via the Office of the CCO and the National Centre for Clinical Audit (NCCA), operationally supported by RCSI, and overseen by an independent board ensuring accountability and strategic direction.
The first audit to go-live on the NAP was the Major Trauma Audit (MTA) in February 2025, with the Irish National Orthopaedic Register (INOR) as the first implant register in May 2025. The National Paediatric Mortality Register, and the Irish Breast Implant Registry are next on the roadmap for implementation in Q3/Q4 2025. In addition, funding has recently been awarded to NOCA for the implementation of the Irish Dementia Registry.
Primary Goals
The primary goals of the new platform are to:
- Provide a scalable data collection platform which can support multiple audits and registers
- Improve the accuracy of input, update, and management of patient data for NOCA data collections
- Ensure information is organised, accessible, and easily retrievable for analysis, reporting, decision-making, and operational tasks
- Improve efficiency in the management of national clinical audit information.
Benefits
The new platform offers numerous benefits, including:
- Streamlined data entry with inbuilt validation and controls
- Enhanced end-user support
- Implant scanning and device management including ‘never event’ validation
- Enhanced integration and bulk upload capabilities
- Improved reporting capabilities at multiple levels
- Direct access to data and reporting structures for authorised users within participating sites
- Support for quality improvement initiatives, audits, and research at both local and national levels
- Indicators of national performance for comparison with international outcomes.
We are excited to bring this improved system online and NOCA believe that this new platform will significantly contribute to its ongoing efforts to improve patient care and clinical outcomes through better data management and reporting.
We wish to express our sincere gratitude to everyone involved in making this rollout possible - from Audit Coordinators and Clinical Leads to hospital IT & IG teams, the HSE, NEC and our own NOCA team. Their hard work and collaboration have been instrumental in reaching this milestone.