Benchmarking in healthcare

This paper examines the process of benchmarking and the ways in which it can be used to secure improvement and best practice. Classic definitions are presented and their appropriateness to present-day conditions is considered. The four types of benchmarking — internal, competitive, functional and generic — are examined and the advantages and disadvantages of their use in healthcare settings presented. The benefits of considering and comparing practice in a wide range of organisations are emphasised. The paper argues that performance measurement is not an end in itself but a means of comparing practice and the impact of changes in practice intended to secure improvement. The three major stages in the benchmarking process are examined — defining what to benchmark, the collection and analysis of data and the action. The key role of the service-user for determining what to benchmark and what is best practice are highlighted. The importance of always using the benchmarking process to secure improvement is emphasised, and the need to integrate benchmarking with other approaches to quality at the strategic level is stressed. The dangers of fragmented initiatives are also considered. Finally, the importance of having an appropriate organisation culture and management leadership to facilitate improvement is described.