Benchmarking facilities providing care: An international overview of initiatives

Abstract

We performed a literature review of existing benchmarking projects of health facilities to explore (1) the rationales for those projects, (2) the motivation for health facilities to participate, (3) the indicators used and (4) the success and threat factors linked to those projects. We studied both peer-reviewed and grey literature. We examined 23 benchmarking projects of different medical specialities. The majority of projects used a mix of structure, process and outcome indicators. For some projects, participants had a direct or indirect financial incentive to participate (such as reimbursement by Medicaid/Medicare or litigation costs related to quality of care). A positive impact was reported for most projects, mainly in terms of improvement of practice and adoption of guidelines and, to a lesser extent, improvement in communication. Only 1 project reported positive impact in terms of clinical outcomes. Success factors and threats are linked to both the benchmarking process (such as organisation of meetings, link with existing projects) and indicators used (such as adjustment for diagnostic-related groups). The results of this review will help coordinators of a benchmarking project to set it up successfully.

Establishing achievable benchmarks for quality improvement in systemic therapy for early‐stage breast cancer

“…delivery of systemic therapy and supportive care have been shown to vary dramatically across jurisdictions, institutions, and providers. 9,11,12 In the current study, we used the achievable benchmarking methodology to establish targets for the quality of care relating to systemic therapy delivery in patients with early-stage breast cancer based on the top decile of performers. 8 In recent years, strategic government initiatives have focused on optimizing the use of resources and improving cancer care.…”

“…9 More recently, benchmarking has been used to identify top performers and to characterize factors associated with high performance on process indicators as a means with which to improve the quality of care being delivered. 9 More recently, benchmarking has been used to identify top performers and to characterize factors associated with high performance on process indicators as a means with which to improve the quality of care being delivered.…”

“…Benchmarking initially was used to examine differences in performance that led to gaps in care. 9 More recently, benchmarking has been used to identify top performers and to characterize factors associated with high performance on process indicators as a means with which to improve the quality of care being delivered. [9][10][11] Frequently, benchmarks in health care were established subjectively using consensus-derived approaches to identify best practices and set standards of excellence.…”

“We Sometimes Hold on to Ours” – Professionals’ Views on Factors that both Delay and Facilitate Transition to Adult Care

“…Only through use will we be able to start to describe patient benefit, often not assessed or measured in benchmarking initiatives (41), but essential if we are to capture experiences of care to inform change that is centered on the receivers of our care. We know from our initial pilot that these benchmarks need adapting to specific populations, such as those with complex needs/disabilities (42), and mental health needs (43), and we would encourage readers to do that to ensure that care philosophies, service delivery, and transitions are a good fit with the population, particularly for those who require services from multiple agencies (44).…”

Improving surgical outcomes through benchmarking

“…Benchmarking is defined as comparative assessment of high‐level performance and is considered a major quality‐improvement tool in economics. Referring to a point of reference (the benchmark), benchmarking facilitates the understanding of processes by which performance can be compared, and consequently improved. It is a continuous cycle of defining the best, comparing with the best, and learning from the best ( Fig .…”