Clinical buy-in is key to benchmarking success.

The effectiveness of benchmarking as a tool for improving the quality of healthcare services and reducing costs depends on the completeness of the data and physician acceptance of the findings. Benchmarking analyses based on cost-center data, for example, do not account for many of the actual costs of performing a procedure and, therefore, may be of limited value. Benchmarking studies should use data that provide a complete, detailed picture of what each procedure entails to facilitate consistent comparisons among actual physician practices so that physicians can see clearly how their practices relate to best practices. The current procedural terminology (CPT) coding system can provide an excellent basis for assembling benchmark data.