Achievable benchmark of care (ABC)
What is an achievable benchmark of care (ABC)?
An ABC is a standard of excellence achieved by top performers in a peer group, accounting for at least 10% of the overall population. These standards are easily and reproducibly calculated using existing performance data.
Three characteristics of achievable benchmarks of care include:
- The benchmarks represent a measurable level of excellence
- The benchmarks are demonstrated to be attainable
- The benchmarks are derived from data in an objective, predetermined, and reproducible fashion
Thus, providers with high performance can be selected to define a level of excellence, but providers with a high level of performance in only a small number of cases will not.
Within healthcare, benchmarking refers to comparing the performance of an organization or clinician to others, and an ABC is attained by finding the top performers through this comparison.
How does the achievable benchmark of care (ABC) improve healthcare?
Benchmarking aims to improve quality, efficiency, and patient experience by comparing desirable qualities between organizations and clinicians. The ABC defines a standard of excellence for healthcare organizations and clinicians to strive for, which has proven to be attainable.
When healthcare organizations and clinicians strive for and achieve the ABC, their patients will see greater care and improved health outcomes.