What does comparing a hospital's medication error rate to the rate at similar regional centers illustrate?

• A. Internal benchmarking
• B. External benchmarking
• C. Internal audit
• D. Self-assessment

Answer: (B)

Benchmarking is about measuring performance and comparing it to a reference point. When you compare a hospital's medication error rate to that of similar regional centers, you’re using external benchmarking. This lets you see how your hospital stacks up against peers and identify opportunities to adopt best practices or improve processes. Internal benchmarking would involve comparing within the same organization (for example, one department to another), not against external centers. An internal audit focuses on evaluating controls and compliance rather than comparing performance metrics, and self-assessment is an internal evaluation that doesn’t inherently involve external peers.