Clinical practice benchmarking: implications for tissue viability

Healthcare provision has been described as a 'lottery', reflecting a deficiency in equity of care (Ellis, 2000). Recent Department of Health (DoH, 1998, 1999) attempt to overcome this disparity and assure quality care by quality assessment and continuous quality improvement (Ellis and Morris, 1997). These documents advocate clinical benchmarking as a means to supporting this practice. This article provides an overview of the benchmarking process, with particular focus being applied to the pressure ulcer element. It reflects on the coalescence that appears to exist between implementing clinical benchmarking and the characteristics of specialist practice. It also analyses the effects of establishing the process on an existing tissue viability service.