Benchmarking & Best practice.

Dr Haroon Hafeez. FRCP(Edin.)

Dip Pall Med (Cardiff).
Associate Medical Director.
SKMCH&RC.
 Definitions
• Benchmark: A comparative best as baseline or
goal for improvement.
• Best Practice: A process technique or innovation
producing superior results and driving best
performance, with demonstrated improvement in
quality, cost, safety, or other key organisation
measures.
• Benchmarking: A continuous process of
measuring practices and services against the
performance of recognized leaders at a particular
function.
 Benchmarking Process Steps
• Planning:
1. Identify what is to be benchmarked.
2. Identify comparative companies or organization.
3. Determine data collection method and collect
data.
• Analysis:

1. Determine current performance gap.

2. Project future performance levels.
 Benchmarking Process Steps
• Integration:

1. Communicate current performance gap.

2. Establish functional goals.

• Action:
1. Develop action plans.
2. Implement specific actions and monitor
progress.
3. Recalibrate benchmarks.
 Clinical benchmarking
• Define project.
• Gain physician participation and admin support.
• Define data elements that characterise the
process.
• Collect and compare data elements.
• Each institution defines its process of care.
• Compare processes amongst participants.
• Revise and implement process of care to reduce
variances.
 Using benchmarking data
• An organization that participates in a
reference data base to compare clinical
financial and operational data has an
opportunity to identify and respond to best
practices.
• Identify opportunities for improvement.
• Predict quality price and outcome.
• Develop effective and credible practice
guidelines to influence physician patterns.
 Best Practice
• It is identified through scientific evidence.
When available then adherence to a guideline
or protocol can be encouraged. If not available
then the hospital can set its own targets based
on performance measurement data.
 Quality planning process for best
practice
• Measure current practice and compare.
• Share findings.
• Compare with literature.
• Identify best practice.
• Investigate causes.
• Remeasure and compare.
• Think of two clinical best practice models in
your area of work and discuss