A pay-for-performance program in the United Kingdom that tied payment to achieving quality targets brought primary-care physicians' income more in line with specialists' income, reduced their work hours and helped reduce a physician shortage, according to a study funded by The Commonwealth Fund published in the May 2010 issue of Health Affairs.
In the program's first three years, the number of general practitioners increased 15 percent, exceeding the government's expectations, and within two years, the average income of a GP who was also a senior practice partner increased nearly 60 percent, according to a summary of the study.
Performance on most of the quality indicators improved during the first three years of the program, and 91 percent of patients reported satisfaction with their care.
Read the key findings of The Commonwealth Fund study on primary care incentives.