Thursday, February 19, 2009

pay for performance and the physician-patient relationship

In her column in The New York Times Dr. Pauline Chen explores the implications of pay-for-performance systems, in which physicians are paid based on quality indicators rather than volume. An emphasis on quality outcomes rather than volume may make it easier for physicians to spend more time with patients. But one of the concerns is that physicians will cherry-pick healthy patients who will have positive health outcomes, rather than difficult patients who do not comply with prescribed regimens.

You can find the article here and the comments here.

What do you think? Is there a balance to find between pay-for-service and pay-for-performance?

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