The first Italian benchmarking project in the field of orthopedics

Introduction Orthopedics has its own specificities in terms of costs, primarily related to the purchase of orthopedic devices and usage of operating rooms, as well as in terms of management issues connected with the organization of medical staff, nursing care, and ancillary support. This paper analyzes the application of benchmarking techniques in the health care sector. It discusses opportunities and limits of benchmarking in the public service sector, focusing on orthopedics; a sector characterized by its own specificities in terms of costs, organization, and management.