Waking the dragon – national audit in China and the benefits of having a NAP

Abstract

China practices medicine at scale. In 2016 the country undertook an estimated 26,098,354 gastroscopies and colonoscopies during which almost half of the patients received sedation. In the next 10 years that number is estimated to rise to above 34,000,000. In this issue of the journal, Zhou and colleagues report the first attempt at a national audit of sedation during gastrointestinal endoscopy. In this editorial we reflect on their process and findings, compare their work with UK audits and look to the future of national audit in China.