Benchmarking in mental health: an introduction for psychiatrists

Abstract

Benchmarking has been advocated by the Department of Health as a tool of clinical governance. The essence of benchmarking is learning from the best practice of others. Its ability to compare services and outcomes of care can facilitate change, ensuring quality control and continuous service improvement. The concept is in its infancy in the National Health Service despite its exceptionally rapid growth in business organisations over the past 25 years. Many of the characteristics that make the process so valuable in business are equally relevant in healthcare. This article reviews the history of benchmarking and describes its application in mental health services for improving patient care. It includes an analysis of the centrality of the benchmarking doctrine to the core principles of clinical governance and reflects on the assets health services possess to facilitate benchmarking. It concentrates on the principles of setting up a team and uses a case example to highlight the organisational and clinical effect that a benchmarking project could have.

Benchmarking a liaison psychiatry service: a prospective 6-month study of quality indicators

“…Good data collected locally and benchmarked against national standards would go a long way in making this case. Such a benchmarking exercise will also help drive up the standard of care generally and allow learning from best practice, which is the essence of benchmarking (Bayney, 2005).…”

“…Benchmarking is an activity that can inform the process of clinical governance (Bayney, 2005). The emphasis on community-based services in policy documents such as the National Service Framework for Mental Health (Department of Health, 1999) External benchmarking involves, but is not confined to, comparing standards in a service with other good services anywhere in the world.…”

Le benchmarking : une méthode d'amélioration continue de la qualité en santé

“…Initialement le benchmarking se résumait à la comparaison des résultats de la performance pour identifier les écarts. Ensuite il s'est étendu à l'analyse des processus et des facteurs de succès ayant permis une performance supérieure [3,6,7,11]. Les dernières évolutions du concept de benchmarking concernent la nécessité de répondre aux attentes des patients [1].…”

Governance, strategy and innovation in mental health

“…Happily, innovative thinking in governance is common in mental health services both in the NHS (see Bayney, 2005) and the voluntary sector (see Austin, 2004). For mental health providers looking to the future, perhaps as NHS foundation trusts, an innovative, strategic governance programme is essential.…”