Research and scholarly methods: Audit studies

Abstract

Audit study methodologies have been utilized in pharmacy field research to obtain greater understanding of potential gaps in real‐world care and assess the accessibility of medications, services, and providers. Many audit studies utilize a secret‐shopper approach in which auditors follow specific assessment protocols and the subjects being audited are unaware of the audit taking place. The benefit of utilizing this approach, as compared to surveys or interviews, is that researchers are able to collect real‐world measures with minimized social desirability and recall biases. There are multiple audit study approaches investigators must consider. Additionally, successful audit studies often rely upon congruence of multiple auditors, and it is therefore essential to develop a study protocol that includes detailed guidance documents, data collection tools, and rigorous training and fidelity assessments. Audit methodologies must be conducted with meticulous auditor training and oversight, especially when investigators seek to audit a large sample and rely on auditors who may be participating on an unpaid volunteer basis. The purpose of this review is to provide an orientation to audit study methodologies and to describe best practices for conducting a successful audit study.