The regular and frequent assessment of healthcare processes, their outcomes, and related costs is considered what concept?

• A. Benchmark
• B. Plan
• C. Process redesign
• D. Continuous monitoring

Answer: (D)

Regular and frequent assessment of how care is delivered, what results are achieved, and how much it costs is the essence of continuous monitoring. This approach creates an ongoing feedback loop that tracks performance over time, detects when things drift from targets, and supports timely adjustments to improve quality and value. It underpins iterative improvement efforts, helping teams see whether changes actually lead to better outcomes and lower waste.

Benchmarking, by contrast, focuses on comparing performance to external standards or peers rather than maintaining ongoing measurement within the organization. A plan outlines what actions to take, not the continuous measurement itself. Process redesign centers on altering the workflow to achieve improvement, rather than the sustained tracking of performance metrics.