Sawla General Hospital

Benchmark protocol

Prepared by; Health

care Quality directorate

Gofa Sawla
September 2017 E.C
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 Contents
1. Introductions .......................................................................................................................... 3

1.1. Types of benchmarking ................................................................................................. 3

2. Benchmarking key areas ....................................................................................................... 4

3. Here are some best practices for effective benchmarking in healthcare: ........................ 5

4. Collecting data during benchmarking in healthcare involves several key steps to ensure

accuracy and relevance................................................................................................................. 6

5. Benchmarking offers several key benefits across various health organizations : ........... 7

6. Benchmarking in healthcare can present several challenges. ........................................... 8

7. Hospital benchmarking principles ....................................................................................... 9

8. Key elements of benchmarking ........................................................................................... 9

9. For effective benchmarking in a healthcare context, the following professionals and

their responsibilities can be included: ....................................................................................... 10

10. Reference .......................................................................................................................... 12

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 1. Introductions

Hospitals use benchmark assessments to better understand how they measure up to their
competition. They also use them to understand what level they are performing at. They can use
the data from the assessments to improve their organization.

Benchmarking in healthcare involves setting a standard, comparing the current performance to

that standard, and working to improve conditions to meet that standard. It also allows hospitals to
compare their standings with the performance of other hospitals. After the benchmark
assessment, they can determine what changes they need to make at each level to meet their goal.

Benchmarking in healthcare is an organization that is concerned about their patient follow up

contact performance. They decide to perform a benchmarking assessment internally to see how
many patients they are following up with. When they realize that they are not doing well, the
perform a competitive benchmarking assessment to try and model the system another hospital
uses to make follow up contact.

Over all benchmarking first require senior management commitment, particularly to supporting
action arising from the exploration

Second; it requires staff to be trained and guided in the process to ensure that maximum benefit
is obtained.

Finally: it requires allocation of part of the relevant employees’ time to be carried out
(beckford1998)

1.1. Types of benchmarking

Benchmarking is divided into two main groups, external and internal.

1. External benchmarking is when the organization compares itself against other

organizations (external to their operations).

2. Internal benchmarking is when the organization compares one area of the organization to
another area of the organization. Internal benchmarking is useful if there is a highly effective
and efficient department that leadership wants other departments to model after. External
benchmarking is the focus of this lesson. There are several types of external benchmarking
organizations can execute depending on their objective for the result.

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 3. Functional Benchmarking: Comparing specific functions or processes (e.g., patient
admission, billing, or clinical protocols) across various organizations, regardless of industry.
This can provide insights into best practices beyond healthcare.
4. Strategic Benchmarking: Focusing on long-term performance and strategic goals, such as
patient satisfaction or community health outcomes. This type looks at how leading
organizations achieve their success and the strategies they employ.
5. Process Benchmarking: Analyzing specific processes or workflows within healthcare
operations, identifying inefficiencies, and adopting best practices to improve those processes.

6. Outcome Benchmarking: Focusing on clinical outcomes, such as patient recovery rates,

readmission rates, or infection rates, to determine the effectiveness of care delivered.

Each type of benchmarking serves a distinct purpose and helps healthcare organizations drive
Quality improvement in various aspects of care and operations.

2. Benchmarking key areas

Evidence-Based Care (EBC) focused hospital benchmarking typically emphasizes areas that
reflect the application of clinical guidelines, research, and best practices to improve patient
outcomes. Here are key areas of focus:

1. Clinical Guidelines fulfillment: Evaluating adherence to established clinical pathways and

guidelines to ensure that treatments are evidence-based.
2. Patient Outcomes: Measuring the effectiveness of treatments, including recovery rates,
complication rates, and mortality rates, to assess the impact of evidence-based practices.
3. Patient Safety: Monitoring incidents related to patient care, such as medication errors and
hospital-acquired infections, to ensure safety protocols are followed.
4. Care Coordination: Assessing the effectiveness of multidisciplinary teams in providing
coordinated care, particularly for complex cases or chronic conditions.
5. Patient Education and Engagement: Evaluating methods for informing and engaging
patients in their care, ensuring they understand treatment options and follow-up care based on
evidence.

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6. Use of Clinical Decision Support Systems: Analyzing the integration and effectiveness of
decision support tools that help clinicians make evidence-based choices.
7. Quality of Care activates: Focusing on quality indicators such as readmission rates,
treatment delays, and adherence to preventive care guidelines.
8. Cost-Effectiveness: Examining the cost implications of implementing evidence-based
practices compared to traditional methods to promote financial sustainability.
9. Implementation of Best Practices: Evaluating how well hospitals adopt and implement best
practices derived from clinical research and guidelines from other and self.
10. Training and Professional Development: Assessing the effectiveness of ongoing education
programs for staff to ensure they remain up-to-date with the latest evidence-based practices.

By focusing on these areas, hospitals can enhance the quality of care provided to patients while
ensuring that clinical practices are grounded in the best available evidence.

3. Here are some best practices for effective benchmarking in healthcare:

1. Define Clear Objectives: Establish specific goals for what you want to achieve through
benchmarking, whether it’s improving patient outcomes, reducing costs, or enhancing
operational efficiency.
2. Select Relevant Activates: Choose activates that are meaningful and directly aligned with
your objectives. Common activates include patient satisfaction scores, readmission rates,
and average length of stay.
3. Identify Comparators: Select appropriate organizations or standards for comparison. This
could involve finding peers in the same geographic area or institutions known for
excellence in specific areas.
4. Data Collection: Gather accurate and comprehensive data. Ensure that the data is
standardized and consistent to allow for valid comparisons.
5. Analyze Results: Examine the data critically to identify gaps and areas for improvement.
Look for trends and patterns that provide insights into performance differences.
6. Involve Stakeholders: Engage staff at all levels in the benchmarking process. Their
insights and buy-in are crucial for implementing changes based on benchmarking findings.

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7. Implement Changes: Develop and execute action plans based on the insights gained. This
might include training, process redesign, or resource allocation adjustments.
8. Monitor Progress: Regularly track performance against the benchmarks over time to
assess the impact of implemented changes and make further adjustments as needed.
9. Share Findings: Communicate results and best practices across the organization SMT to
foster a culture of continuous improvement and learning.
10. Review and Update: Periodically revisit your benchmarking process by year and activates
to ensure they remain relevant and aligned with organizational goals and industry
standards. These best practices can help healthcare organizations leverage benchmarking to
drive meaningful improvements and enhance patient care.

4. Collecting data during benchmarking in healthcare involves several key

steps to ensure accuracy and relevance.

Here are some effective methods for data collection:

1. Identify Data Sources:

➢ Electronic medical Records (EMRs): Use data from patient records to gather
activates on outcomes, processes, and demographics.
➢ Administrative Databases: Access billing and operational data for insights into costs
and resource utilization.
➢ Surveys: Conduct patient satisfaction surveys or staff feedback surveys to gather
qualitative and quantitative data.

2. Standardize Protocols/operations/ policy/guidelines/rules/

➢ Define clear, consistent definitions for each activates to ensure comparability. For
example, if measuring service quality, readmission rates, specify the timeframe and
conditions considered.
3. Use Performance Dashboards:
➢ Implement dashboards that aggregate and visualize hospital service performance
monitoring indicators (HSPMIs) for real-time data access and analysis.
4. control Benchmarking Tools and Software:

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 ➢ Utilize specialized benchmarking software that can help gather, analyze, and
compare data efficiently across different organizations.
5. Conduct Focus Groups or Interviews:
➢ Engage with staff and stakeholders through focus groups or interviews to gain
qualitative insights into processes and outcomes.
6. Collaboration with Other Organizations:
➢ Partner with other healthcare institutions or industry groups to access shared
databases or participate in benchmarking initiatives that provide aggregate data.
7. Review Clinical audit result and Protocols:
➢ Collect data related to adherence to clinical guidelines and protocols, which can
provide insights into process efficiency and quality of care.
8. Monitor Regulatory and Accreditation Data:
➢ Use data from regulatory bodies or accreditation organizations that provide
benchmarks and performance standards for healthcare facilities.
9. Ensure Data Integrity:
➢ Implement protocols to verify the accuracy and completeness of collected data. This
may include regular audits or validation checks.
10. Analyze Historical Data:

5. Benchmarking offers several key benefits across various health

organizations :
1. Performance Improvement: By comparing processes and outcomes with health leaders,
organizations can identify gaps and opportunities for improvement.
2. Goal Setting: Benchmarking helps in establishing realistic performance targets based on
the standards set by competitors or best practices.
3. Innovation: Learning from others can spark new ideas and innovative practices that can
be adapted or improved upon within your own organization.
4. Enhanced Efficiency: Identifying more efficient processes can lead to cost savings and
streamlined operations.
5. Customer Satisfaction: Understanding best practices in customer service can help
improve the customer experience, leading to higher satisfaction and loyalty.

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6. Risk Management: Benchmarking can reveal potential risks by highlighting areas where
competitors are performing better, allowing organizations to address vulnerabilities
proactively.
7. Strategic Planning: It provides valuable data for strategic decision-making and long-
term planning by understanding market trends and competitor performance.
8. Employee Engagement: Involving employees in benchmarking initiatives can foster a
culture of continuous improvement and increase engagement.
9. Accountability: Establishing benchmarks creates a framework for accountability,
encouraging teams to meet or exceed performance standards.
10. Market Positioning: Understanding where you stand in relation to competitors helps
refine marketing strategies and enhance competitive positioning

Overall, benchmarking is a powerful tool for driving organizational growth and

efficiency

6. Benchmarking in healthcare can present several challenges.

1. Data Availability and Accessibility: Obtaining accurate and comprehensive data can be
difficult, especially if systems are fragmented or if organizations are reluctant to share
information.
2. Data Standardization: Variability in definitions, measurement methods, and reporting
standards can make it challenging to compare metrics across different organizations.
3. Resource Constraints: Conducting thorough benchmarking can be resource-intensive,
requiring time, personnel, and financial investment that some organizations may not
have.
4. Resistance to Change: Staff may be hesitant to adopt new practices or changes
suggested by benchmarking results, especially if they feel threatened or undervalued.
5. Lack of Clear Objectives: Without well-defined goals, benchmarking efforts may
become unfocused, leading to wasted resources and inconclusive results.
6. Dynamic Nature of Healthcare: The rapidly changing landscape of healthcare (e.g.,
new regulations, technologies, and treatments) can make it difficult to keep benchmarks
relevant and up to date.

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 7. Cultural Differences: Different organizational cultures can affect how benchmarks are
interpreted and implemented, leading to inconsistent results.
8. Difficulty in Identifying Comparators: Finding appropriate and relevant organizations
for comparison can be challenging, particularly for niche services or specialized care.
9. Short-term Focus: Organizations may focus on immediate metrics rather than long-term
outcomes, which can hinder meaningful improvement efforts.
10. Misinterpretation of Data: Incorrect analysis or misunderstanding of benchmarking
results can lead to misguided conclusions and poor decision-making.

Addressing these challenges requires careful planning, clear communication, and a

commitment to fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

7. Hospital benchmarking principles

Here are some key principles:

1. Clarity of Purpose
2. Selection of Relevant topic :
3. Standardization.
4. Data Integrity:.
5. Confidentiality and Ethics:.
6. Engagement of Stakeholders
7. Continuous Improvement
8. Use of Best Practices:
9. Transparent Reporting:
10. Focus on Outcomes:

8. Key elements of benchmarking

These points help structure the benchmarking process, making it a valuable tool for driving
quality improvement in healthcare settings. Benchmarking policies, guidelines, and protocols in
healthcare to ensure that the process is systematic, ethical, and effective. Here are some key
elements:

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 1. National and International Standards: Organizations like the Joint Commission and
WHO provide guidelines on quality and safety standards that can inform benchmarking
practices.
2. Best Practice Frameworks: Frameworks such as the Institute for Healthcare
Improvement’s (IHI) Model for Improvement offer structured approaches to
benchmarking and performance improvement.
3. Data Governance Policies: Guidelines around data collection, sharing, and privacy are
crucial to maintain confidentiality and ensure compliance with regulations like HIPAA.
4. Benchmarking Protocols: Specific protocols outline how to conduct benchmarking,
including selecting metrics, data sources, and analysis methods.
5. Quality Improvement Initiatives: Programs like Lean, Six Sigma, and Total Quality
Management often incorporate benchmarking as a key component of their
methodologies.
6. Collaboration Guidelines: Policies may exist to facilitate collaboration between
organizations for sharing best practices and benchmarking data.
7. Ethical Guidelines: Ethical considerations ensure that benchmarking is conducted
transparently and that data is used responsibly to improve care without compromising
patient trust.
8. Training and Education: Guidelines often include recommendations for staff training
on the benchmarking process and the importance of evidence-based practices.
9. For effective benchmarking in a healthcare context, the following
professionals and their responsibilities can be included:

s/No Profession /thematic areas Responsibilities

1 Managers To oversee benchmarking initiatives, ensuring they stay on

track, within budget, and meet objectives.
2 Clinical Experts Professionals with in-depth knowledge of specific sectors
can provide valuable insights and context for comparisons.
3 Epidemiologist/bioestatioans To Investigate health trends and disease patterns to inform
benchmarking practices.
4 Nurse Management head To facilitate the adoption of new practices resulting from
benchmarking insights.
5 IT profession/ Specialists To support data collection and management, especially in
digital benchmarking
6 Quality Improvement Expert/ Experts in methodologies like Lean or Six Sigma,
Specialists:
7 Public Health Professionals: To facilitate the adoption of new practices resulting from
benchmarking insights.
8 Training Coordinator To Develop and implement training programs based on
benchmarking results to enhance staff performance
9 Nurse To Collect patient care data, assess outcomes, implement
best practices, and provide feedback on care processes.
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10 General Public Health officer To Analyze community health data, identify health trends,
/GMPH/MSc develop and evaluate public health programs, and ensure
compliance with health standards.
11 EBC/EHSIG/ head Lead initiatives to improve care quality and patient safety
through benchmarking.
12 MCC ambassador Enhanced Patient Outcomes: Motivated and competent
care leads to better health results and recovery rates.
Increased Patient Satisfaction: Compassionate
interactions improve the overall patient experience,
leading to higher satisfaction scores.
13 Strategic Planners: To align benchmarking findings with broader
organizational goals and strategies
14 Human Resources To engage and train employees in benchmarking processes
and foster a culture of continuous improvement
15 Environmental Health Specialist Assess environmental health risks, monitor compliance
with regulations, and develop public health interventions.
16 Quality diroctret To align benchmarking findings with broader
organizational goals and strategies
17 Process Improvement Specialists: Experts in methodologies like Lean or Six Sigma,
18 Project Managers: To oversee benchmarking initiatives, ensuring they stay on
track, within budget, and meet objectives.
19 Data Analysts: Skilled in collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data to
identify trends and performance gaps.
20 Laboratory Technician Conduct tests and analyses, ensure quality control, and
report findings for benchmarking purposes.
21 Pharmacist Manage medication safety, ensure compliance with
regulations, and participate in quality improvement
initiatives
22 Medical Doctor Provide clinical insights, evaluate treatment outcomes,
and collaborate on benchmarking practices to improve
patient care.
23 Quality Assurance Officer Ensure compliance with quality standards and regulations
across all areas, implementing necessary improvements.
24 Health Policy Advisor Develop policies based on benchmarking results to
enhance healthcare practices and environmental standards

25 Compliance Officer Monitor adherence to regulations and standards

These professionals work together to drive improvements through effective benchmarking in

their respective fields.
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