Further Evidence Questioning Impact of Quality Incentive Programs Creates Doubts for Shared Savings

A recent study by Australian researchers of incentive programs in the United States found "little rigorous evidence" linking financial incentives to improvements in quality of primary healthcare, and little proof that such an approach is cost-effective compared to other quality improvement initiatives.

The authors suggest the weak correlation may be a result of low-quality physicians choosing not to participate in the programs or physicians not being motivated by the amount of money up for grabs, according to a Reuters report.

Paul Levy, former CEO of Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston, agreed with this suggestion in post on his blog, Not Running a Hospital. He writes, "If you are a primary care doctor, you simply have too much to do in a limited amount of time to calculate whether a given step in the clinical process is going to generate more revenue for your practice."

Mr. Levy add that the findings draw into question the utility of shared savings and global payment programs, which policy makers seem to think will play a significant role in fixing the current healthcare delivery system.

More Articles on Quality Incentive Programs:

Study Finds Weak Correlation Between Financial Incentives, Improved Quality of Care
Opportunities in the New Bundled Payment Initiative

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